Ripon voters heralded in a new era at both city and North Yorkshire level when they went to the polls last week.

Independent Andrew Williams was elected to the new unitary North Yorkshire Council by a landslide in the Minster and Moorside division while Barbara Brodigan, standing for election for the first time, won comfortably for the Lib Dems in the Spa and Ure Bank division.

Prior to Thursday, Ripon’s north and south wards had been represented at North Yorkshire County Council by Conservatives Mike Chambers and Stuart Martin.

However, Cllr Chambers, who is also a member of Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet, lost his county seat while first-time Conservative candidate Thomas Averre saw the seat formerly occupied by Cllr Martin change hands in emphatic fashion.

Conservatives relegated to third

Cllr Williams, who has served as Ripon City Council leader since 2020, was elected with the largest majority of any candidate standing in the 21 Harrogate district divisions.

He took the seat more than 1,100 votes clear of second placed Lib Dem Thomas Cavell-Taylor, while Mr Averre finished third of the three candidates.

Cllr Chambers will, like Cllr Martin, remain a member of Harrogate Borough Council until its abolition in April, when the new unitary authority comes into being.

He finished third of the four candidates in the Spa and Ure Bank division, behind victor Barbara Brodigan and lndependent  Sid Hawke, who won his city council seat and will remain on Harrogate Borough Council until it ceases to exist.

Survey of Ripon residents highlighted the issues

Cllr Brodigan, who will be one of 10 Lib Dems from the Harrogate district on the new unitary authority, told the Stray Ferret:

“We surveyed Ripon residents earlier this year to ask them about the main issues they want to have addressed.

Roads that can cope with traffic associated with new homes is a priority for newly-elected councillor Barbara Brodigan.

“These were principally over-supply of housing in the city and lack of a suitable road infrastructure to accommodate the extra traffic generated by the new homes.

“In addition, there are major concerns about the lack of facilities for young people, which is seen as one of the reasons for the high incidence of antisocial behaviour in the city.”

The former teacher, who has years of experience working in Leeds with students who had been expelled from their schools, hopes her expertise in dealing with disruptive children can be put to good effect locally and at North Yorkshire level.

Ripon’s needs ahead of party politics

Cllr Williams said:

“We had a clear message that the needs of Ripon and its citizens come before party politics and that resonated with the voters.

“They told us on their doorsteps, that they are worried about rocketing fuel prices, the cost of living crisis, the dreadful state of roads and pavements in Ripon and the poor standard of policing in the city.

“During weeks of campaigning, we knocked on thousands of doors and it was clear from those that we spoke with that illegal parties at Number Ten was barely an election issue.”

Looking ahead, Cllr Williams added:

“We will seek to work with Harrogate Borough Council, while it still exists and North Yorkshire County Council in its present form, to see power devolved and community assets returned to Ripon.

“We will also look to address other outstanding issues – a key one being the need for rapid improvement of policing in our city, which is not fit for purpose.

“The city council made a formal complaint to North Yorkshire’s Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe, in March and we are still awaiting her response.

“The anti-social behaviour  that has plagued Ripon for years, grew worse with the covid lockdowns and we will be focusing on a root cause, which is  the very poor provision by HBC and NYCC of facilities and activities for young people.”

In addition to Cllr Brodigan’s election to the city council for the Lib-Dems, other new faces are Independents Jackie Crozier, Tony Duncan, Stuart Flatley and Julie-Ann Martin-Long, who join fellow Independents Jo Bate, Chris Hardisty, Sid Hawke, Peter Horton, Pauline McHardy, Eamon Parkin and Andrew Williams – all of whom were re-elected.

Read more:

• What went wrong for the Conservatives in Ripon?
• Lib Dems victorious in Harrogate district
• Ripon City Council says police are ‘not fit for purpose’

Ripon Spa Baths is set to be sold to a commercial developer after a bid to retain the building for community use failed.

Harrogate Borough Council, which has owned the Edwardian building since the reorganisation of local government in 1974, has confirmed that it intends to sell the Park Street property to the unnamed commercial bidder.

Ripon City Council successfully applied for for the building to be listed as an asset of community value in September. This meant it had six months to raise the finance to purchase the building to keep it in commercial use. But time has now run out.

The city council also called this month for the ownership of the Grade II listed building, which was used as a swimming pool until it closed in November, to be transferred back to Ripon without charge when Harrogate Borough Council is abolished next year.

Ripon councillors argued that Spa Baths and other city assets, including the town hall, Hugh Ripley Hall, Market Square, Spa Gardens and Spa Park, should be handed back for free by Harrogate Borough Council as it had not paid a penny for them.

The building is recognised as a key heritage asset by Ripon Civic Society

But Harrogate Borough Council’s response to Ripon City Council’s request for the reversion of ownership, seen by the Stray Ferret, confirms the building will be sold to a developer.

Trevor Watson, Harrogate Borough Council’s director of economy and culture said in the email, which has been circulated to all city councillors:

“As you are aware we are selling Ripon Spa Baths because a brand new pool has been built in Ripon and this building is no longer needed.

“Our main objective through this disposal is to ensure that the building continues to be used in future and supports the sustainability of Ripon City Centre. To achieve this objective we have undertaken a comprehensive sales strategy which generated market interest in purchasing the building.

“The preferred bidder can demonstrate the experience, capacity and capability in bringing buildings back into use. In addition the proposed sale to the current preferred bidder will generate a capital receipt.

“The generation of capital receipts for assets that are no longer needed allows significant investment to be made in new assets, such as the new Ripon Pool.”

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“At its meeting on 13 October 2021, Harrogate cabinet have previously agreed to dispose of the building to the preferred bidder.

“As the building is listed as an Asset of Community Value a moratorium period was initiated and implemented where the council has not been able to dispose of the building, now that this period has expired we will execute this decision.

“We believe that this will deliver the best way of ensuring the future, sustainable use of this asset and enable Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Council to continue to invest in the continuous improvement of Ripon City and its neighbourhoods.”

Several of the Harrogate district’s most popular visitor attractions are offering free or half price admission until Sunday.

National Lottery Open Week is being staged to thank lottery players for contributing to good causes.

Places that have benefited from lottery funding, including Fountains Abbey in Ripon, RHS Harlow Carr and Ripon Museum Trust are among those taking part.

RHS Harlow Carr

Anyone who presents a lottery ticket or scratch card (digital or physical) at the National Trust-owned Fountains Abbey‘s visitor reception can visit the historic site for free.

Fountains Abbey. Photo: J Shepherd

RHS Harlow Carr is offering 2-for-1 entry for anyone that presents their lottery ticket or scratch card.

Ripon Museum Trust is offering a 50% discount to lottery players on Saturday to individuals and family groups that show a National Lottery ticket or scratch card on arrival at its three venues. They are the Liberty Courthouse, Prison & Police and Workhouse museums

Helen Thornton, museum trust director, said:

“We’ve been fortunate to receive National Lottery funding which enabled us to purchase the Workhouse Museum site and also to progress our future development plans.

“This is our way of saying thank you to everyone who has bought a National Lottery ticket, helped us on our journey and made a vital contribution to supporting good causes.”

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Darren Henley, chief executive of Arts Council England and chair of the National Lottery Forum, added:

“The National Lottery Open Week is a fantastic opportunity for hundreds of venues and projects across the UK to say thanks to players who raise £30 million each week for good causes.”

Further details about National Lottery Open Week available here.

From Ripon’s priceless regalia, to readings for children in the library, today’s Sights and Sounds event had something for all the family.

Seven of the city’s best-known locations opened their doors between 11am and 2pm to provide free entertainment and interactive fun for families.

The programme, organised by Harrogate Borough Council,  included activities ranging from participation in a Victorian school lesson at the Workhouse Museum, to a visit to the bell tower at Ripon Cathedral.

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe, who opened the event.

Visitors to the Prison and Police Museum, on St Marygate were able to find out how fingerprints have been used to catch criminals since the Victorian era, while being able to make their own inky impression to take home with them.

Retired solicitor Simon Crosfield, who works as a volunteer at the Courthouse Museum, let these two youngsters know what it’s like to face a judge.

At the nearby Courthouse Museum on Minster Road, visitors learned about how the city’s criminals were brought to justice in bygone days.

In addition to the array of activities at the three heritage attractions run by Ripon Museum Trust, the cathedral, which celebrates its 1,350th anniversary this year, hosted an exhibition featuring community services provided by 14 local organisations.

The city’s silverware and other treasures, collected over centuries, were on display at Ripon Town Hall where they were the focus of talks in the Mayor’s parlour.

There was an opportunity to watch Ripon Youth Theatre rehearsing at the city’s Arts Hub.

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In addition to the array of activities at the three heritage attractions run by Ripon Museum Trust, the cathedral hosted an exhibition featuring community services provided by 14 local organisations.

Freddie (left) and Taylor were among those to join in an interactive storytime at Ripon Library

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Those who were seeking more interactive entertainment found it at Ripon Arts Hub on Allhallowgate, where they watched a working rehearsal by Ripon Youth Theatre and were then invited to join in an Oliver! workshop,

Storytime readings were held at the library for children aged 0-6 and 7-11-year-olds, where community information stalls were also on display

 

Seven of Ripon’s best-known locations are combining on Saturday March 12 to provide free entertainment and interactive fun for families.

The Sights and Sounds of Ripon programme, organised by Harrogate Borough Council, runs from 11am until 2pm at all venues.

It includes activities ranging from participation in a Victorian school lesson at the Workhouse Museum, to a visit to the bell tower at Ripon Cathedral.

Anyone interested in how fingerprints have been used to catch criminals can find out at the Prison and Police Museum, on St Marygate, where they can try fingerprinting themselves.

The cathedral will host singing, dancing, displays, craft activities and a bell tower tour.

At the nearby Courthouse Museum on Minster Road, visitors can see how the city’s criminals were brought to justice in bygone days.

In addition to the array of activities at the three heritage attractions run by Ripon Museum Trust, the cathedral, which celebrates its 1,350th anniversary this year, will host an exhibition featuring community services provided by 14 local organisations.

There be family crafts and games and performances from local choirs, Ripon City Morris Dancers and Betty Lupton’s Ladle Laikers.

The dancers and the Ladle Laikers will also be performing at the Workhouse Museum, along with singers and a ukulele band, while Punch and Judy shows will take place at 11.30am and 1.30pm.

The city council’s treasured items will be the focus of talks in the Mayor’s Parlour

At Ripon Town Hall, the city’s silverware and other treasures, collected over centuries, will be the focus of talks held on the hour from 11am in the Mayor’s parlour.

Those looking for some interactive entertainment will find it at Ripon Arts Hub on Allhallowgate, where they can view a working rehearsal by Ripon Youth Theatre between 11am and 12 noon  and join in live Oliver! workshops at 12.15pm, 1pm and 1.45pm.

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Local councils across the Harrogate district are to be given the chance to take back control of public buildings and services under what has been described as a “golden opportunity” for communities.

When Harrogate Borough Council was created in 1974 it took over ownership of several key assets, including Ripon Town Hall and Knaresborough House.

But almost half a century later the borough council is now coming to an end as it will be scrapped and replaced with a new unitary authority covering the whole of North Yorkshire from April next year.

These major reorganisation plans have stoked widely-raised concerns over the future of many buildings which are key meeting places for communities and also play a crucial role in delivering local services and supporting the visitor economy.

‘Rightful owners’

Ripon Independents Cllr Pauline McHardy last night made calls for the borough council to kick-start the process by offering support to local councils that may want to submit any takeover plans.

She told a full council meeting this would be a “golden opportunity for assets across the district to be transferred back to their rightful owners”.

She said: 

“In 1974, the people of Ripon and its council had no say in their assets being transferred at no cost to Harrogate Borough Council.

“Now we want them given back to parish, city and town councils for the same as Harrogate Borough Council paid – nothing.”

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Cllr McHardy put forward a motion outlining her requests and was supported by the Liberal Democrats, including Knaresborough mayor Cllr Christine Willoughby who said it “can not be right” for local councils to pay for buildings which they once owned.

However, after a stormy debate both parties ended up voting against the motion, which was amended by Conservative council leader Richard Cooper, who said local councils would be able to “procure” the assets.

Ripon Town Hall.

This sparked questions over whether local councils would have to pay, but Cllr Cooper said this “does not necessarily mean cash changing hands”.

He also said the motion first put forward “simply isn’t legal” as the borough council itself can not produce takeover plans for its own buildings to be run by local councils.

Cllr Cooper said: 

“Seeking to get better services for residents run from these assets is where we should be focusing.

“If parishes can do it better and put together a delivery plan – great.

“I wish them all well and good luck in managing those services from parish, city and town councils. But what I am seeking to do is make sure they get control of assets and run great services from them legally, quickly and sensibly.

“The original motion I’m afraid just won’t do that.”

What will happen in Harrogate?

The prospect of a new town council for Harrogate is highly likely under the reorganisation plans and something which has been supported by all political parties.

Among the key assets which the town council could take over include the likes of the Stray, the Royal Hall, Royal Baths, the Pump Room Museum, the Sun Pavilion and more.

There are also questions over what will happen to council offices, not least to mention Harrogate Borough Council’s new civic centre headquarters.

At the moment, Harrogate and Scarborough are the only major towns in North Yorkshire not served by a parish or town council.

North Yorkshire County Council has previously said services such as parks and markets could be run by a town council, while areas including planning and highways may be handled by a Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee on the new unitary authority.

It has also said it is supportive of the idea of a Harrogate Town Council, although this would require a community governance review and could lead to a local referendum with a vote from residents.

Harrogate Borough Council will be asked next week to support the return of community assets to Ripon City Council and Knaresborough Town Council.

A motion due before a full council meeting calls on the council to back requests for Knaresborough House, Ripon Town Hall and Hugh Ripley Hall being transferred back to local communities.

Harrogate Borough Council took control of the assets when it was created following local government reorganisation in 1974.

But the decision to scrap the borough council next year and replace it with a single authority called North Yorkshire Council covering the whole of the county has led for calls for local assets to be returned to town council control.

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A motion due before the council meeting next week, which was first proposed by Ripon Independent councillors Pauline McHardy and Sid Hawke and later amended by Harrogate Fairfax Cllr Chris Aldred and Knaresborough Scriven Park Cllr Hannah Gostlow, who are both Liberal Democrats, will say:

“That this council supports the principle of specific locality community assets, such as Knaresborough House, Ripon Town Hall, Hugh Ripley Hall and other such community facilities across the district being transferred to the ownership of the appropriate city, town or parish council, should these bodies express a wish to take on ownership of their local assets, in preference to ownership transferring to the new unitary authority. 

“To start the process that this council writes to local parish, town and city councils to ask which assets they would potentially take ownership of.”

Cllr McHardy told the Stray Ferret previously:

“There’s absolutely no reason for Harrogate to hang on to assets that rightfully belong to us.

“Not a penny was paid for them when they were handed to Harrogate in 1974 and we want them to be transferred back.”

The full council meeting which will debate the motion will be held on Wednesday, February 9.

New housing developments in Ripon have enabled the parish precept charged to council tax payers in the city to be frozen for the second successive year.

The parish precept is charged on top of the tax paid to North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

It means residents living in a Band D property will pay a parish precept of £71.89 for the year. People in Bands A to C properties will pay less and those in Bands E to H will pay more.

At last night’s meeting of Ripon City Council, the draft budget for 2022-2023 was unanimously approved after independent council leader Andrew Williams told members:

“Because of the increased number of new houses built in Ripon, we are able to raise a levy of £410,902, at no extra cost to the charge payer.”

Hugh Ripley Hall

The figure represents a 3% increase for the parish council budget, which stood at £400,000 last year and Cllr Williams explained:

“As we are collecting from a larger base, we are able to freeze the precept for the second year running.

“We believe that this is the right and proper thing to do, at a time when families are under greater financial pressure through increased fuel and other costs.”

The bulk of the money will be spent on the queen’s platinum jubilee celebration in June, other public and civic events during the year and items including town hall rent and the management and upkeep of Hugh Ripley Hall and Ripon’s team of hornblowers.

Conservative councillor Mike Chambers, who represents Ripon at city, district and county council level, said:

“I am delighted that there will be no increase in the parish precept and I lend it my support.”

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Harrogate Borough Council is being urged to return assets such as the town hall and spa gardens to local ownership in Ripon before devolution comes into effect next year.

Harrogate Borough Council took control of the assets when it was created following local government reorganisation in 1974.

At the same time the Municipal Borough of Ripon was abolished and the city reduced to parish council status under the authority of Harrogate Borough Council.

Now, with another major shake-up of local government looming, Ripon City Council is calling for the city’s town hall, Hugh Ripley Hall, Market Square (pictured below), Spa Gardens and Spa Park to be transferred back to local ownership.

It says provisions in the Localism Act, designed to protect assets of community value (ACV), should be used to achieve this prior to the formation of the new North Yorkshire unitary authority next year.

Moves are already underway to retain community use at Spa Baths, after the city council successfully applied in September to have the historic building listed as an ACV.

Market Square

With Harrogate Borough Council due to be scrapped in April next year, independent Ripon city and district councillor Pauline McHardy told the Stray Ferret:

“There’s absolutely no reason for Harrogate to hang on to assets that rightfully belong to us.

“Not a penny was paid for them when they were handed to Harrogate in 1974 and we want them to be transferred back.”

Cllr McHardy put forward a notice of motion, seconded by fellow Ripon independent councillor Sid Hawke, which was due to be discussed at Harrogate Borough Council’s full council meeting in December, but the meeting was cancelled.

The motion calling for the return of the assets, is due to come before next month’s full meeting of HBC.

Cllr McHardy, pointed out:

“We will continue to press for the freehold of key assets in the city to be handed back to Ripon.”

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With Christmas just over three months away, Ripon is gearing up for further expansion of the city’s seasonal lights.

Ripon City Council has unanimously agreed to support moves to create a new festive feature on the front of the town hall.

Costing £5,400, it would consist of a sequenced multi-coloured lights display that can be programmed to include seasonal and other messages.

Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the Grade II Listed building in the Market Place, needs to approve the proposal.

Last year, in a festive season affected by covid lockdown and restrictions, £65,000 set aside for public events that were subsequently cancelled, was used to enhance and extend Ripon’s Christmas lights.

The lights covered three miles of city centre and adjoining streets, including all major gateways and this year, in addition to the town hall plan, improvements will be made to light displays on High Skellgate and Westgate.

Kirkgate – the approach to Ripon Cathedral – was part of the three-mile display of lights last Christmas.

Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams said:

“A multi-coloured curtain of light across the town hall, which can incorporate messages, will have a wow factor and create a focal point for Ripon’s Christmas and New Year celebrations.”

Councillors were told that this would be be a temporary display and, if approval is received from Harrogate Borough Council, its installation will be timed to ensure that it does not clash with the Remembrance Day poppies display at the town hall.

The technology employed enables the lights to change colour and feature a range of pre-programmed messages.