M&Co store in Ripon saved from closure

The M&Co shop in Ripon has been saved from store closure as the company goes through a major financial restructure.

M&Co appointed administrators in April after closing during the coronavirus lockdown. A total of 47 stores have been closed.

The company has described covid as its biggest challenge “in over 60 years”.

For over 40 years, the store has been a constant tenant on Ripon’s high street.

M&Co chief executive Andy McGeoch said:

“It quickly became clear that best way to save most jobs and most stores was to enter administration, with a new company acquiring the assets of the old business. I am really pleased that we have been able to maintain a presence in over 200 communities.

“Local economies rely to a huge degree on their town centres and we have seen too many High Streets hollowed out by successive shop closures. More and more people are beginning to realise that, if they don’t support their town centres, everyone’s quality of living really takes a hit, so we are proud to be playing a part in the drive to shop locally.”

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Alongside shop closures, the company has announced 380 job redundancies from a total workforce of over 2,600.

More than 100 Eat Out to Help Out businesses in Harrogate district

From next week people will be able to ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ by taking advantage of a 50% discount on food and non-alcoholic drinks in the Harrogate district.

More than 100 restaurants, cafes, bars, and pubs in the district have signed up to the new government scheme to boost hospitality.

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It is valid all day Monday to Wednesday from August 3 to 31, as long the town or city is not in lockdown.

Customers can get a maximum of £10 off food and drink when they eat or drink in. There’s no minimum spend and it can be used in conjunction with other offers.

The government has released a list of establishments registered for the scheme, which we have compiled by area. If your business is not on the list then get in touch.

Harrogate – 66

Knaresborough – 14

Ripon – 9

Boroughbridge – 6

Nidderdale – 6

Masham – 4

District businesses’ ‘dismay’ over plans for £46.8m convention centre upgrade

Business representatives in Knaresborough, Ripon and Pateley Bridge have reacted with “dismay” to news that Harrogate Borough Council could spend £46.8m renovating the town’s convention centre.

A confidential cabinet report leaked to The Stray Ferret has urged councillors to support the huge investment in the 40-year-old centre this week.

The news is likely to be welcomed by businesses in Harrogate but the wider district is less convinced of its merit.

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

“I’m somewhat dismayed about this.

“It’s all about Harrogate. We are struggling like mad to keep Knaresborough going and attract tourists and the council finds £50m to keep something going that already loses money. It’s unfair.”

Stephen Teggin of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade called for fair investment in the district’s markets

Mr Teggin called on the council to find £50,000 a year to keep markets in Ripon and Knaresborough going.

“The markets are what pull in coaches for us, just like the convention centre does for Harrogate.

“They must spend the same amount of money, pro rata, on tourism here.”

Stephen Craggs, co-director of Ripon home appliances store G Craggs, said he wouldn’t begrudge Harrogate receiving such a huge sum but questioned the wisdom of spending it on the centre.

“That ship sailed 20 years ago. The centre is not big enough to compete with the likes of Manchester and the NEC in Birmingham. They’re flogging a dead horse.”

Mr Craggs suggested the centre would be better utilised as an indoor shopping centre.

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Tim Ledbetter, chair of Nidderdale Chamber of Trade in Pateley Bridge, said it was “less than impressed” by the council’s plan.

Mr Ledbetter said there was no overall business vision for the district and added it was “debatable” whether Pateley businesses reaped any benefits from events in Harrogate.

The council has said there is a “very real risk that the venue will not survive” if councillors do not agree to press ahead with plans for renovation on Wednesday. It says the centre attracts 157,000 visitors a year, has an economic impact worth £35m and supports thousands of jobs across the district.

Stuart Holland, co-chair of Harrogate Civic Society, said the 1960s-style centre was “nothing to be proud of” architecturally and welcomed the opportunity for improvement.

Mr Holland added any renovation should be sympathetic to the society’s attempts to develop a cultural quarter in Harrogate.

McDonalds reopens dine-in restaurant in Ripon

The McDonald’s restaurant in Ripon reopened its dine-in facility today with new safety measures in place.

The restaurant has introduced a limited customer capacity to avoid congestion inside. Customers are also expected to use hand sanitiser and follow any further measures the restaurant puts in place.

Customers can now order food directly to the table from an app or continue to use tills and kiosks. Food will be served using table-service only.

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Track and trace systems are also in place. Customers eating in will have to leave their contact details using their smartphone. If they visit in group, the lead member will have to leave their details plus the number of people dining together.

Measures that were previously in place, including perspex screens and reduced numbers of staff on shifts, will remain.

Ripon Spa Hotel closes after failing to find a buyer

Ripon Spa Hotel will close its doors for good after its owners failed to find a buyer, having put it on the market a year ago for £1.75 million.

The owners say they will continue to try to sell the hotel at a reduced price of £1.5 million but have declined to speculate on the future of the site.

It is Ripon’s largest hotel with 40 bedrooms and its closure is the first major coronavirus casualty for the city.

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The hotel’s owners told the 30 staff who were still working there that they will be made redundant.

A spokesperson for Ripon Spa Hotel told The Stray Ferret:

“It is with regret that we have to close and it is with sadness that we need to make redundancies. We cannot speculate on the future of the hotel.”

Ripon Spa Hotel has been privately owned by the same family for more than a century. When they put the hotel up for sale last year, it was the first time the property had been on the market in 115 years.

The hotel not only offered places to stay but it was also available for wedding parties, conferences, charity events, and sporting holidays.

It is likely that the lack of a buyer for the hotel over the past year will lead to speculation about its future and a potential change of use.

Man suffers bleed on brain after Ripon assault

Police are appealing for witnesses to a serious assault in Ripon which left a man with a fractured skull, a bleed on the brain and loss of hearing.

The 21-year-old victim was attacked outside Gianni’s Pizzeria in Westgate between 1am and 1.25am on Saturday, July 11.

Police are keen to speak to a group of three men and a woman who, after the assault, were seen getting into a dark-coloured hatchback car. One of the men is believed to have been wearing a grey Armani jumper.

Anyone with information about the group, or the assault, should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option two and ask for Lynn Maguire, or email lynn.maguire@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk.

Alternatively, to report information anonymously, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting North Yorkshire Police reference number 12200117545.

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Barratt Homes pulls out of 390-home Ripon scheme

The UK’s largest housebuilder, Barratt Homes, has pulled out of a 390-home development in Littlethorpe, Ripon.

The housebuilder had signed a deal with land promoter Gladman to build on the land at West Lane but Barratt’s withdrawal means Gladman is looking for a new developer to take on the project.

Barratt Homes told The Stray Ferret that the decision was not related to the lockdown but in a year-end trading update last week, the company announced its revenue has fallen by 30% due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2018, Harrogate Borough Council granted permission on appeal for 390 homes at Littlethorpe race track after previously it was rejected in 2017 for being a “substantial intrusion into the open countryside” and its impact on nearby Studley Royal and Fountains Abbey.

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In June 2020, a scoping document was sent on behalf of Barratt Homes to bring the development up to 470 homes, which has now been withdrawn.

The site forms part of Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan and outline planning permission for 390 remains.

Barratt Homes said it remains “committed” to the Harrogate District.

Liam Tate, planning manager at Barratt Developments Yorkshire East told The Stray Ferret:

“Barratt Developments is no longer pursuing the application in Littlethorpe. We are committed to providing high-quality new homes and investing in local communities across the region, as demonstrated at our Kingsley Meadows development in Starbeck.”

M&S Ripon opens with a trickle, not a flood

On a rainy Wednesday morning, there was more of a trickle than a flood of customers for the 8am opening of the new M&S Food store in Ripon.

Store manager Paul Nicoll told The Stray Ferret:

“Because of COVID-19  and the requirements for social distancing, we decided on a ‘soft’ opening to ensure the safety of customers and staff.”

He added:

“That’s why we didn’t make a big thing about publicising our first day opening time.”

Paul Nicholl store manager stood outside the new Ripon store.

The new store opened today with staff eager to serve their new customers.

The store, which is the first to open on the St  Michael’s Retail Park on Rotary Way, Ripon, was scheduled to start trading on April 29, but the planned opening was put on hold because of the coronavirus crisis.

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Even with the government relaxing social distancing from two metres to one, the need for caution was evident in store, with hand sanitiser, a one way in and one way out system for customers and staff wearing masks.

The first shopper through the doors was Janis Stone of Bishop Monkton, who said:

“I’m delighted that M&S are back in Ripon, I used to go to the small store they had in the city centre until it closed.”

She added:

“I think they will do very well here.”

 

Ripon Barracks proposals move online following criticism

Homes England has published updated plans online for the 1,300 home development at Ripon Barracks, after concerns were raised from Ripon residents about transparency during lockdown.

The development, which encompasses Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks is being developed by the government’s housing agency, Homes England, and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

There are 1,300 homes mooted and it’s designated within Harrogate Borough Council’s Local Plan.

The development will be called Clotherholmes and the new plans include a community centre, employment space, shops, parkland, a new primary school and sports facilities.

Homes England had been accused of “a lack of transparency” around the plans due to lockdown, with local resident Barbara Brodigen telling The Stray Ferret that local residents have failed to have their voices heard.

Whole process online

Homes England said they initially wanted to publish the proposals online and to display them at a public event. However, due to the restrictions in place as a result of Covid-19, they have instead put the whole process online which includes information boards, an FAQ document and a pre-recorded presentation from the project team.

Ripon councillor Mike Chambers told the Stray Ferret he welcomed the plan but said its “achilles heel” is its lack of transport provision.

He said:

“I’m very concerned about displaced traffic and rat runs. I’m continuing to press to ensure we have the best possible traffic plan going forward so residents can live their lives as they want.”

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People can submit questions about the development until July 26. Responses will then be added to the FAQ document and uploaded to the project website.

A planning application is due to be submitted to Harrogate Borough Council later this summer.

Martin Wilks, Ripon Barracks project manager at Homes England, said:

“After being impressed with the level of interest shown in our proposals last autumn, we provided local groups with further opportunities to comment on our proposals – we paused, listened, and refined our proposals.

“We now feel confident that our updated plans meet the needs of Ripon’s community, both present and future, as well as providing a number of additional benefits that will allow community spirit to be placed at the heart of the development of Clotherholme.

“These include greater access to green space through the establishment of parkland in Laver Banks, more diverse employment opportunities through the provision of flexible workspaces, and a range of facilities such as allotments, sports pitches and mixed-use community spaces.”

Meanwhile, Julian Smith MP has published a response from Homes England on his website, dated July 9, after he raised concerns from residents in a letter last month.

Ripon and Knaresborough market traders face rent increase

Market traders in Ripon and Knaresborough who were hoping for financial help from Harrogate Borough Council, face a rent increase of more than 25% this summer.

Before the coronavirus crisis hit the economy of the Harrogate district, the council had agreed its budget for 2020-2021, which included a rent rise for stall holders, which should have come into effect on April 1st – but was put on hold.

The council’s market rates for Ripon and Knaresborough as published on its website, show that from July, the summer rental for regular traders will rise from £19.50 to £24.50 and the winter rate increase from £16.40 to £21.40. This additional £5 is to cover the setting up of the stalls by the council, and will be charged per stall rather than per market trader.

Dave Tomlinson, trades on Knaresborough market and said:

“Its quite depressing really, all the other markets seem to be helping us apart from HBC. It’s pretty appalling and the morale is way down. The council are very shortsighted because if they continue to put the rent up they will lose traders. I know for a fact we’d lose two traders and maybe even two more and thats a lot of money to lose.”

At Wednesday’s full council meeting, Councillor Andrew Paraskos, cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, whose portfolio covers the markets in the Harrogate district, said that rates would be held at the 2019-2020 level “until the end of July”.

Photo of Knaresborough Market

Knaresborough Market, bouncing back quicker than Ripon

The Stray Ferret asked the council when the new rates will come into effect, but was still awaiting clarification at the time of publication.

On Wednesday, Cllr Paraskos pointed out that a number of measures have been put in place by the council to both support market traders and promote the markets, including waiving of fees for traders unable to attend because of government restrictions 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.”

The Ripon stallholders representative, Brian Murphy, said:

“After the financial struggle many have experienced, including those non-food traders who didn’t earn a penny for 11 weeks of lockdown, any rent increase will feel like a kick in the teeth.”

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The discussion on market rents was prompted by Ripon Independent Councillor Pauline McHardy, who submitted a written question calling on the council to follow the lead of neighbouring local authorities. Other local authorities had given rent holidays reductions to help traders post lockdown.

As well as asking for stall holders to be provided with rent-free periods or reductions for a given time, Cllr McHardy, said:

“I hope that the council is not planning rent increases this year or next.”

Cllr McHardy has invited Cllr Paraskos and Cllr Graham Swift, the council’s cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development, to visit Ripon Market with her and speak with traders.