Ripon Archives - Page 151 of 239

Business Breakfast: Harrogate law firm appoints new head of estates

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.

A Harrogate law firm has appointed a new head for its estates department.

Harriet Thornton will take the position at LCF Law, where she will oversee an 18-strong team.

Ms Thornton will take up the position as head of estates after initially training at the company as a lawyer.

She said:

“I’m particularly proud of the work I have done growing the firm’s leasehold enfranchisement division, helping both landlords and tenants with lease extensions as well as purchases and sales of their freeholds. We created a fixed fee staged costs model so when dealing with collective enfranchisements for blocks of apartments, every leaseholder knows exactly where they stand.

“Working with developers on projects across Leeds, London, Manchester and Harrogate is also particularly rewarding, as I get to assist them at every stage of the project, from site acquisition through to setting up the estate development and subsequent plot sales. I also help developers with purchase and development finance and always take a proactive approach to every project.”

Simon Stell, managing partner at LCF Law, said:

“Harriet is a very capable and dependable lawyer who is well-liked by clients and colleagues. Having won and been shortlisted for several industry awards over the years, she has carved out an impressive career, built and enviable client list and led the way in providing first rate services that exceed clients’ expectations.”

Work starts on Ripon Business Park expansion

Work has started on an expansion of a Ripon business park.

The park, which is based off Ripon bypass, looks set to see a further 25,000 sq ft of industrial and trade units built.

Construction is set to be complete by spring next year and FSS Property has been leading the project as its agent.

Adam Crawfurd-Porter, lead agent for the scheme at FSS Property, said:

“I am delighted to support my clients in developing the site further, ensuring a new provision of industrial units to service the needs of the local area.

“I was confident that the scheme we proposed would solicit good interest but to have pre-let over half of the site before building works have commenced is a great result”

FSS Property is taking enquiries on the remaining units on the site. For more information, visit their website.

Derelict Ripon building to be demolished for townhouses

A derelict building in Ripon city centre is set to be demolished to make way for townhouses.

Harrogate Borough Council has approved plans to flatten the building in Moss Arcade, off the city’s Market Square.

Proposals submitted by Greystone Developments would see the building replaced with three two-bedroom townhouses.

James Robinson, planning consultant who submitted the plan on behalf of the developer, said in documents to council:

“This is an important part of Ripon steeped with heritage.

“However the building on the site is very much a left-over redundant building, which blights the surrounding area.”

He added:

“The proposed redevelopment of the site on Moss Arcade will be of great benefit to the surrounding area.

“This will resolve this existing left over building, which detracts from the conservation area, by providing three two-bed townhouses, which are designed to be fit for modern living.”

New Women’s Institute could be set up in West Tanfield

A new branch of the Women’s Institute could be set up in West Tanfield if a meeting in the village pub proves popular.

The WI previously had a branch in the village which closed down – but a meeting is being held later this month to discuss setting up a new one.

Margaret Merrall, a WI advisor who helps communities to set up and run WIs, said the suggestion came from local women.

“Two ladies approached us about setting up a WI in West Tanfield. They had been in another WI locally but one of them lives in West Tanfield and thought there might be interest in a WI in the village.

“When we met a fortnight ago, they already had about 10 people interested before we had even announced the meeting.

“Now we’ve set a date, we’re hopeful of getting a good number of people there and having some volunteers for the committee to get things started.”

The initial meeting takes place at the Bruce Arms on Wednesday, August 24 at 7pm.

If there is enough support, a new WI will be formed and its members will choose when and where they meet each month, as well as what they do at the meetings.

While the stereotypical image of WI meetings is of talks in dusty village halls, in reality many groups prefer a more active approach. Belly dancing, gin tasting and bushcraft skills have all been on the agenda for WIs in the Harrogate district in recent years.

When a new Wi is established, it becomes part of the national organisation, as well as a region – in this case, North Yorkshire West Federation of WIs. The federation will support it by paying for the costs of its first three meetings, before members’ fees – just £44 per person for a full year – are used to pay for hall hire, speakers and other expenses.

Margaret added:

“I tend to stay quite close to a new WI for about a year. I’ll pop to a couple of committee meetings and make sure everything is going well.

“It has been a hard couple of years with covid in every walk of life. We’re pleased to be opening a new WI – our first since the pandemic – and we hope it’s something the community will really enjoy.”

Harrogate district paddling pools to stay open but flower watering to reduce under hosepipe ban

Watering of public flower displays in the Harrogate district could be reduced over the coming weeks after the announcement of a hosepipe ban later this month.

Harrogate Borough Council said it will be working to reduce its water use in line with Yorkshire Water’s decision, which comes into force on Friday, August 26.

However, the authority said its three public paddling pools will remain open in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens, Knaresborough’s Bebra Gardens, and Borrage Green in Ripon.

A spokesperson said:

“Following the Yorkshire Water announcement about the hosepipe ban, we are looking at what measures we can and should implement to conserve water supplies.

“Unfortunately, this may result in our baskets and floral displays looking a bit the worse for wear but we hope people will understand the reasons why.

“Our paddling pools are currently filled until after the August bank holiday, and we welcome residents and visitors using ours across the Harrogate district rather than their own.”

Harrogate’s famous floral displays could go un-watered.

Meanwhile, North Yorkshire County Council said it would be following the rules when the hosepipe ban comes into force.

Council leader Carl Les, whose portfolio includes emergency planning, said:

“We are looking at our services and where exemptions may apply, and we will be conforming with the rules. We would urge all residents to follow the advice already given out nationally and regionally on how they can conserve water usage, as we will be.

“Let’s also take care in these tinder dry conditions to avoid starting fires, which not only use large amounts of water to extinguish, but can also threaten property and in some cases lives.”

The hosepipe ban is the first to be introduced in Yorkshire since 1995.

People are asked not to use hosepipes for domestic activities including watering plants or grass, washing cars, filling paddling pools or swimming pools, or cleaning outdoor surfaces.

The activities are still permitted if they are carried out without a hosepipe, such as with a bucket or watering can, or if a water butt is used, for example.

Blue Badge holders, people on Yorkshire Water priority services register and those on the WaterSure tariff for medical reasons are exempt from the ban.

The restrictions do not apply to commercial premises using a hosepipe for essential activities.

Ripon ready for its biggest race of the season tomorrow

It’s a landmark year for Ripon Racecourse as it prepares for its most important race of the season tomorrow.

With the city celebrating the 1,350th anniversary of the founding of Ripon Cathedral by patron saint Wilfrid, the Boroughbridge Road track will hold the race that has been run in his honour since 1839 and has been supported by bookmaker William Hill since 1994.

The William Hill Great St Wilfrid Handicap, run over six furlongs, has attracted a field of 15 sprinters from top yards — all vying for the winner’s prize of £51,540, with a further £48,460 going to the owners of the placed runners.

Jon Mullin, marketing and operations manager at the racecourse, told the Stray Ferret:

“This will be William Hill’s 29th year of sponsorship. It is by far their longest-standing sponsorship and is something we are really proud of.”

Horses at the finish line at Ripon Races. Picture: Steve Fareham/Geograph.

With the weather set fair, a large crowd is anticipated and Mr Mullin added:

“Advanced sales have been promising. The club enclosure sold out three weeks ago and we’re hoping plenty of people come along to enjoy a great afternoon of racing.”

While the Great St Wilfrid takes centre stage, the card also features the William Hill Hornblower Conditions Stakes. Both races will be shown live on ITV.

The track’s roots are firmly established in the ancient city and the link between course, tradition and custom will be apparent when a Ripon hornblower signals the start of the stakes race at 1.40pm.

Mr Mullin said:

“Families are always welcome and under 18s will be admitted free.”

The gates will be open from 11.30am.

Report reveals extent of ground issues at Ripon Leisure Centre

A report has revealed the extent of ground stability issues at Ripon Leisure Centre, which are set to cost £3.5 million to repair.

The findings from engineering firm Stantec spell out more bad news for the venue’s new swimming pool and refurbishment project, which is already over budget and more than a year overdue.

The new pool opened this year, but plans for a larger gym and exercise studios have been delayed after an underground void was discovered at the site.

This prompted an investigation by Stantec which has now revealed evidence of multiple voids and “significantly weak” areas of ground beneath the older half of the leisure centre, which was built in 1995.

It has warned that not carrying out remedial repairs would be “unacceptable from a public safety perspective”. The report said:

“These investigations have revealed that disturbed and brecciated bedrock is not isolated to the north western corner of the building.

“It is envisaged that structural strengthening would likely require remedial works on not only the ground floor of the building, but also in areas of the already renovated top floor of the building.”

The existing leisure centre adjoins the new pool

Ripon is susceptible to sinkholes because it lies on a layer of water-soluble rock called gypsum.

In 2018, a sinkhole opened up outside the leisure centre before Harrogate Borough Council approved the new pool plans a year later despite some councillors raising “deep concerns” over ground stability issues.

The council has continually insisted that professional advice has made it clear that the site is “safe to use”.

However, the repairs required are now proving costly and causing long delays for the refurbishment project.

Stantec’s report said foundations were not driven deep enough into the ground when the leisure centre was built 27 years ago and that it remains unclear why this happened as “many critical records” are missing.

It added that if the foundations were to fail because of this, it was unlikely to be “catastrophic”.

The voids are believed to be part of a “network” of underground holes beneath the leisure centre – some of which were “successfully” repaired during the construction of the new swimming pool.

Grouting – where material is pumped into the ground – is likely to be used again during the repairs, although Stantec added more assessments and monitoring will be required on top of this.

The report said:

“A further programme of structural assessment of the existing building is recommended to understand how the building might be best retrofitted to accommodate the risks of ground collapse.

“Strengthening alone is unlikely to mitigate risks to acceptable levels and would likely need to be adopted in combination with other strategies and require long-term monitoring as the building continues in usage.”

If approved by senior councillors next week, the remedial works would start in December with refurbishment set for completion in spring 2024.

The works would mean the leisure centre would have to partially close for at least 10 months from November.

A temporary gym in the venue’s car park has been proposed and will cost an additional £300,000, while the new pool would remain open throughout.

Ripon man jailed for arranging to meet underage girls for sex

A Ripon man has been jailed for arranging to meet underage girls for sex and carrying a knife.

Mark David, 32, was sentenced at York Crown Court yesterday after pleading guilty to both offences.

David admitted carrying a lock knife in High Street, Starbeck, on December 15, 2019, which was the same day he had arranged to meet a 14-year-old girl for sexual purposes.

Prior to his guilty plea to the knife offence, David had already admitted two counts of attempted sexual communication with two girls under 16 years of age.

Those offences occurred in Harrogate between November 25 and December 16, 2019. The communication was via Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger.

David, of North Street, Ripon, also admitted the offence of arranging to meet an under-age girl for sex in Harrogate.

He was sentenced to 43 months in prison, placed on the sex offenders’ register and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £181.

Business Breakfast: Ripon company director shortlisted for two industry awards

Business Breakfast is sponsored by Harrogate law firm Truth Legal.

Econ Engineering’s finance director has been shortlisted in two categories at this year’s Northern Finance Director Awards.

Beverley Shepherd is nominated for Northern Finance Director of the Year – Leadership, and Best Northern Finance Director of a Limited Company £25m – £100m, a title she won four years ago.

Ms Shepherd began her career at Ripon-based Econ Engineering in 2014 as its Company Accountant before being promoted to Finance Director three years later.

She said:

“It is an honour to be shortlisted for these awards.

“The interview panel was easy to talk to and it was a good chance as a candidate to reflect on the work I’ve achieved over the last year. Congratulations to all the other finalists and I am looking forward to the final in September.”

Econ Engineering’s Executive Director Jonathan Lupton said:

“Bev is a highly-valued and respected member of our senior leadership team.

“Being shortlisted for two Northern Finance Director of the Year awards is a testament to the outstanding contribution she makes to our business.”

The Northern Finance Director Awards recognise and celebrate the exceptional talent of finance directors and their teams across the North of England.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in September.

Plan for 80-bed care home on Ripon paint factory site

A new care home could be built in the heart of Ripon if plans are given the go-ahead.

The 80-bed facility has been proposed for the site of the T&R Williamson business park on Stonebridgegate.

The outline plans for a three-storey building extend to more than 4,700m sq, replacing the current 1,294m sq paint factory.

In supporting documents submitted with the proposal, applicant Miller Property Group said:

“The application is pursued on a speculative basis, though interest has been expressed for the future occupation of the development by care home operators.”

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As well as the 80 bedrooms, the outline plans including lounge and dining space on each floor, as well as a cinema, a library and activity rooms.

The proposal includes retaining the existing 28 parking spaces and creating two disability spaces, as well as one ambulance bay.

However, even if the plans are approved, the exact details would need to be confirmed with a full planning application in future.

In supporting information, the applicant said:

“Overall, the application scheme will enable the delivery of a high-quality care home on the site. The development will improve the appearance of the site and will provide a use which is much more in-keeping with the residential character of the area.”

A spokesperson for T&R Williamson said:

“As previously reported, T&R Williamson Paints, established 1775, merged with sister company Thomas Howse Industrial Coatings, established 1903, over two years ago.

“Since then, there has been a planned and phased programme to fully integrate both businesses at the West Midlands headquarters of Thomas Howse.

“This has enabled us to maximise production facilities and ready ourselves for the next stage of our evolution.

“T&R Williamson retains its renowned branding, as well as the privilege of The Royal Warrant awarded in 2011 in recognition of its specialist paints, varnishes and lacquers supplied to The Royal Household.

“The merger represents an exciting new era for both companies, which pool more than 360 years of expertise in the paint and coatings industry.

“It has been a natural progression to build on the existing synergies of both companies and blend together the market-leading position, reputation, skill base and aspiration that they both share.

“The merger has also signalled a major programme of significant investment in the latest technology in production machinery. This is helping us to improve efficiency, striving us forward on our green aspirations reducing energy consumption and production waste, as well as building a broader product range.”

To view or comment on the application, visit the Harrogate Borough Council planning website and use reference 22/02831/OUTMAJ.

Ripon Leisure Centre ground works will cost £3.5 million

Ground stability work at Ripon Leisure Centre is set to cost £3.5 million and cause further delays for a refurbishment project which is already over budget and more than a year overdue.

The costs have been revealed in a Harrogate Borough Council report, which said the project now won’t be completed until spring 2024.

The centre’s new swimming pool opened this year, but plans for a larger gym and exercise studios have been delayed after underground voids were discovered beneath the older half of the site which was built in 1995.

Engineering firm Stantec carried out ground investigations over winter and has now proposed remedial works, which will cost the council £3.5 million and mean parts of the centre are closed for at least 10 months from November.

Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre

A temporary gym in the venue’s car park has also been proposed and will cost an additional £300,000, while the new swimming pool will remain open throughout.

A report to a meeting of the council’s cabinet next week said the authority had made “every effort to provide an accurate estimate” of the costs, but added these could rise further once the ground stability works begin.

The report also said:

“It is appropriate and timely to undertake the remedial works now.

“The consulting engineer has previously stated that in their professional opinion a do-nothing approach is unacceptable from a public safety perspective.

“By undertaking the works, which also include installing post works monitoring equipment, the council will ensure that it has put into place adequate mitigation to address the risks.”

‘Deep concerns’ before building began

A decision to build the new swimming pool next to the existing leisure centre was made in 2019 despite some councillors raising “deep concerns” over ground stability issues at the site where a sinkhole opened up the previous year.

The council continually insisted that professional advice made it clear that the site is “safe to use” before it awarded a £10 million contract for the project to construction firm Wilmott Dixon in 2020.

Since then, a further £4.5 million has been set aside by the council after the discovery of the underground voids and other issues which delayed the opening of the new swimming pool.

This extra money does not include the ground stability works or temporary gym costs revealed this week.

If approved by cabinet members, the ground stability works will start in December and end next summer before checks are carried out and a monitoring system is installed.

The refurbishment works would then start after this, with completion in spring 2024.