Police image of man wanted after Ripon theftPolice have issued a CCTV image of a man they would like to speak to following a theft from Sainsbury’s in Ripon Market Place.
A man entered the store and took about £500 of printer ink. It happened at about 4pm on March 1.
Officers believe the man in the image has information that could help the investigation and are asking anyone who recognises him to get in touch.
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Anyone with any information can contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2 and ask for PC 733 Mitchell or email Elliot.Mitchell@northyorkshire.police.uk.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Please quote reference number 12210069492 when passing on information.
Plans to convert Ripon office block into apartmentsPlans have been submitted to convert the Athelstan Court office block in Ripon into 19 homes.
The site owners, Athelstan Court Ltd and Spirit 80 Limited, are proposing 13 two-bedroom and six one-bedroom apartments with 30% being “affordable”.
The building on Kearsley Road has been empty since 2013 and lies within the College Business Park. It was previously used as offices by the Inland Revenue.
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In 2020, the building was being sold as office space for £1.3 million.
However, planning documents suggest the owners failed to find a buyer for this purpose:
“The marketing information over the past 7+ years has demonstrated that the site is not desirable for office use with no credible offers for use of the site for office use. This leads to conclude that the use of the site for employment use is unviable.”
Ripon firm fined nearly £50k after worker suffered burnsA Ripon-based construction firm has been fined nearly £50,000 after one of its worker suffered multiple burns.
Walden Builders Ltd was in the process of demolishing an outbuilding on September 18, 2018 when an excavator struck a wall containing a 415v cable.
The contact with the digger caused it to arc and a fire soon broke out. Workers then used a sheet of tin to try and contain the blaze.
However the tin soon heated up and dropped onto one of the workers, causing burns to their scalp, arm and hands.
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The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated and found that the company failed to act on a quote from Northern Power Grid to terminate supply to the building.
Leeds Magistrates Court last week fined Walden Builders Ltd £42,000 and ordered the company to pay £4,707 in costs.
HSE inspector Paul Thompson said after the hearing:
“The company should have ensured that there was no live power to the building prior to the start of demolition work.
“The company had failed to prepare a written plan for the demolition of the building or any site-specific risk assessments.
“This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices.”
Two men arrested after cannabis farm found near RiponTwo men have been arrested after police found a cannabis farm at a business park near Ripon.
North Yorkshire Police discovered the cannabis plants following a search at a business unit near the city on Friday.
The force said more than 50 plants were found following a search of another unit in the area.
Two men, aged 36 and 38, were arrested in connection with the cannabis grow and released under investigation pending further enquiries.
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Inspector Alex Langley, North Yorkshire Police, said:
“The damage that drugs cause to individuals and families is significant, and that’s why it’s important we take this pro-active approach to tackle drug issues Ripon.
“The use of industrial units in the Ripon area is of concern as criminals carry out illegal activity in plain sight.
“I would like to ask local business and premises owners to look out for any suspicious activity. Please let us know if something doesn’t feel quite right. The information you provide allows us to carry out this pro-active work in order to try and safeguard our local communities.”
The police urged anyone with information to dial 101, press one and speak to the force control room.
Or you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Vandals strike again in Ripon city centre
A rare building that is part of Ripon’s heritage has been damaged by vandals.
The cabmen’s shelter — a Grade II listed structure – dating back to the days of horse-drawn transport — was the target.
The shelter was recently refurbished and returned to Market Square at a cost of £22,000
Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:
“It’s enough to make you despair.
“We are doing our best to get ready for the easing of lockdown, by making the city more attractive for residents and visitors,
“Now we have suffered another mindless act of vandalism that detracts from all of our efforts.”
A window in the shelter was broken yesterday and Cllr Williams, along with the Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Eamon Parkin, carried out a sweep-up after being alerted to the incident.
The window was temporarily boarded up and the broken pane will be replaced shortly.
The broken window on the cabmen’s shelter. Photograph: Ripon City Council
Police have been informed and Cllr Williams said:
“I hope the person or persons who did this were picked up on CCTV cameras covering the square.”
Yards away from the shelter, a broken window at the Tourist Information Centre in Ripon Town Hall remains boarded up, after being vandalised in December.
The city council, which has responsibility for the upkeep of the cabmen’s shelter, is waiting for landlord Harrogate Borough Council to repair the Tourist Information Centre window.
There has been a spate of vandalism in Ripon during the covid lockdowns.
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Windows at premises including the Ripon Cathedral office, shops in Westgate and Fishergate and a public house in High Skellgate, have been smashed.
In recent weeks, police patrols, particularly at weekends, have been stepped up in a bid to tackle a rising tide of violent and anti-social activity.
City councillors have called for action on policing numbers and also said they will join forces with the police to crack down on crime in the city.
The Old Deanery in Ripon goes back on the marketThe Old Deanery in Ripon has ceased trading earlier than planned after 17 years and gone back on the market.
The hotel, bar and wedding venue was closed because of the lockdown but was not formally due to cease trading until the end of June.
However, the following statement, attributed to ‘the management team’, appeared on its website last week:
“It is with great sadness that we announce The Old Deanery has ceased trading from March 8 due to the negative impacts of coronavirus.
“From Linda, Chris and all the team; we’d like to thank you all for your custom over the years – it’s been our pleasure to welcome you to The Old Deanery.”
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Ripon Cathedral owns the iconic building, which is situated opposite.
Property consultants Sanderson Weatherall has listed the 17th Century Grade II listed building on its website, with the price available on application.
It describes the building as an ’11 bedroom boutique hotel and function venue’.
News of The Old Deanery’s permanent closure on its Facebook page led to expressions of sadness and treasured memories. They included:
“So very sad to see such a special place not make it through this rotten time.”
“Very, very sad news, our little escape from life for a few nights once or twice a year. Had the loveliest staff, always friendly and helpful.”
“Always enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and friendly service – smart but not stuffy.”
Ripon plans £105,000 Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrationsRipon is planning for a right royal celebration next year.
In June 2022, The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, marking her milestone of 70 years as monarch, will be celebrated with four days of events across the UK.
To enable Ripon to plan well in advance, the city council has set aside £105,000 from its reserve fund.
City council leader Andrew Williams received unanimous support for proposals to roll over monies that were not spent in the current financial year.
He pointed out:
“From our experience of hosting the UCI cycling event in 2019, we know that we need to put money aside now.
“That will enable us to put all arrangements in hand for a programme of events, which will require the booking of a variety of equipment and facilities.
“We want to do a proper job to mark the queen’s incredible service to this country.”
The government has unveiled plans for a long weekend of celebrations, which has seen the late May Bank holiday moved to Thursday June 3 and an additional Bank holiday added on Friday June 3, creating a four-day weekend.
Ripon has a long and proud royal heritage, having been awarded a ceremonial horn in AD 886 by King Alfred the Great after townspeople fought off a Viking attack,
During the English Civil War, the city was on the royalist side of Charles I and the cavaliers who battled against Oliver Cromwell’s troops on Market Square.
The clock tower erected for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897.
Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee was commemorated in 1897 with the erection of a clock tower at the junction of Palace Road, North Street and Princess Road.
In 1985, the queen visited Ripon Cathedral and the town hall for Royal Maundy, when the monarch gives silver coins to older people on Maundy Thursday.
All her milestone anniversaries, from the Silver Jubilee in 1977 to the Diamond Jubilee in 2012, have been celebrated in the city.
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Besides planning for next year, Ripon City Council is also looking ahead to this summer.
Councillors voted an additional £30,000 of funding for the refurbishment of play equipment and fencing at Quarry Moor Park.
This brings total funding to £60,000, which will enable the swings and roundabouts to be replaced in time for the lessening of lockdown restrictions.
Huge increase in Harrogate district allotment applicationsApplications for allotments in the Harrogate district have gone up massively since 2018.
The increase is being attributed to lockdown tempting people with the promise of clear air and fresh vegetables grown from a patch of ground they can call their own.
Harrogate Borough Council owns and manages allotments at Claro Road and Pearl Street in Harrogate and Ferrensby in Knaresborough. The remaining 23 allotments in the district are run by parish councils or managed privately.
In 2018, Harrogate Borough Council received 12 requests for allotments at its Claro Road site, which is one of the biggest allotments in the district with 56 plots.
In 2020 there were 103 applications, an increase of over 750%.
The other two council-run sites saw a similar surge of interest. Pearl Street went from two applications in 2018 to 27 in 2020. Ferrensby saw an increase of six to 37 over the same period.
The council warns on its website that applicants could wait for up to five years, depending on which site they apply for.
Caroline Linford, who runs the website Sustainably Harrogate, has been on the waiting list for an allotment in Harrogate for two years. She would like her own plot so she can re-use food waste from her family’s dinner table.
“I love the idea of creating our own circular system where our food waste turns into nutritious compost that helps our vegetables grow. I intend to garden organically too so will avoid pesticides to help with local biodiversity.”
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The six allotments in Ripon are owned by Ripon City Council and leased to the Ripon Allotments Society.
Malcolm Hutchinson from the Ripon Allotments Society said there are now 76 people on the waiting list for a plot in Ripon, a significant increase over previous years.
He’s had an allotment since the 1970s and says they have become popular for people with more time on their hands due to lockdown.
He said:
“A lot of people are wanting to have a go at it. For most people, it’s something to do where they can potter away at their own pace.”
‘We need urgent action to safeguard Ripon Spa Baths’Ripon City Council has vowed to do everything within its power to keep Ripon Spa Baths as a community asset for public use.
Councillors agreed unanimously last night on the need for urgent action to prevent the Grade II listed building from being sold for residential development.
They rallied to a call from council leader Andrew Williams, who said:
“We cannot let Harrogate Borough Council sell the spa baths from under our noses.”
Councillor Mike Chambers, who sits on both Ripon City Council and Harrogate Borough Council, representing Ripon Spa, said:
“We need to get this sorted now.”
Cllr Chambers, who is Harrogate Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Safer Communities, added:
“It is clear that Harrogate Borough Council wants a capital receipt for this building and we must approach them and find out exactly what they have planned.”
On the market – Ripon Spa Baths.
Councillor Pauline McHardy said:
“Harrogate is trying to rush a sale through. We need to have detailed consultation and time to consider the future use of this asset that belongs to the city.”
A motion put forward by Cllr Williams, calling on Harrogate Borough Council to ensure the spa complex remains in public use as a community facility, was supported by all members.
It was also agreed to arrange a meeting with Ripon Civic Society and all other interested parties to investigate options.
If deemed necessary, after that meeting, the city council will look to appoint specialist consultants to advise on the development of heritage assets for community use.
Cllr Williams said:
“This is important in a growing city, which will see more than 1,700 new homes being built in future years.
“We can’t afford to see the loss of community facilities, with developments such as Clotherholme coming on stream.”
Ripon Civic Society has already stated that it favours development Spa complex for the NHS – in line with the neighbourhood plan for the city.
Councillor Stephen Craggs believes that the building should be developed as a facility for young people in Ripon. He said:
“This is a once in a generation opportunity and we must get it right.”
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For sale signs are already in place at the spa baths.
A statement issued by Harrogate Borough Council said the building is being replaced with a new six-lane swimming pool as part of an extended and refurbished Ripon Leisure Centre.
A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:
“Ripon Spa Baths has served the community well over the years.
“The future sale, and redevelopment of the listed building, would allow this local asset to be redeveloped (subject to planning approval), retain key features and remain as a city landmark.”
Ripon hairdressers prepare for the long road backA long road back from lockdown and lost trade lies ahead for Ripon hairdressers Deborah Chalmers and Sharon Bielby.
The friends own and run hair and beauty businesses less than 100 yards apart on North Street, Ripon.
Deborah’s Love Hair & Beauty Boutique depends heavily on the wedding market.
Sharon, whose shop bears her name, is a barber who cuts men’s and boys’ hair.
For both, the priority following the stop-start year of 2020 and the closed-down first quarter of 2021, has been to keep their heads above water.
Now they are buoyant at the prospect of reopening in six weeks time on 12 April and finally earning some money again.
Their loyal and now long-haired customers have kept in touch and they are looking forward to a busy post-lockdown period.
Deborah, who ensures brides and their bridesmaids look beautiful for the big day, told the Stray Ferret:
“It has been a very difficult time.
“The shop was shut for long periods and just about every wedding booking I had for last summer was cancelled because of the pandemic.”
She used a government small business grant to pay for overheads while living off the crumbs that came from the dramatically scaled-down wedding table.
Sharon Bielby reflects on a difficult year, as she gets ready for the many customers in desperate need of a hair cut.
The same applies for Sharon, who said:
“It has been a case of surviving on the barest minimum, while staying positive and thinking about the many customers who just can’t wait to get their hair cut again.”
Her shop will have an appointment-only policy in place from reopening day. She joked:
“I will probably have to allow extra time for each customer, because they will have a lot more hair to cut!”
Deborah, who has created her own brand of lip balm as a reopening thank-you gift for her customers, is looking forward to a very busy summer.
She said:
“From mid-June, the government is easing the restrictions on the size of gatherings and that’s good news.
“Couples who postponed their plans, still want to get married and share their celebration with family and friends.”
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An additional factor gives Deborah hope that she can make up for some of the lost business she has experienced over the last year.
She said:
“With Saturdays like gold-dust in the wedding calendar, people are now arranging their weddings for other days of the week.
“That means I will be handling hair and beauty for up to four events a week, compared with a maximum of two Saturday weddings a week in a normal year.”