Two new bus routes are set to be introduced in Harrogate this weekend.

The Harrogate Bus Company said in a press release the services would provide ‘new and improved links for housing developments and business parks’.

The company, which is part of French form Transdev, said it has partnered with North Yorkshire Council to bring the new 4, which will link King Edwin Park and the Harrogate West Business Park off Penny Pot Lane in Killinghall to the town centre.

It will also serve Skipton Road and Ripon Road.

The new route, which is being funded by the King Edwin Park housing developer, will run hourly from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday.

In addition, the 6 and X6 will merge to provide an all-day service to Harrogate’s Pannal Ash, RHS Harlow Carr and Beckwith Knowle.

It will operate every 30 minutes, Monday to Saturday, and hourly on Sundays. Extra buses will run every 20 minutes during peak times.

Harrogate Bus Company said it will operate as the current route, but extending to Beckwith Knowle, where there is a business park.

The firm added:

“The route will change on Otley Road and in Pannal Ash so we pick up on the opposite side of the road – this follows customer requests.”

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Changes to existing routes

Along with the new routes, the Harrogate Bus Company also announced it would be making changes to existing routes. Some of the details at this stage are vague.

These include:

1 Harrogate – Knaresborough: There will be a full timetable change from Monday to Saturday. Buses will still run every 10 minutes.

2 Harrogate – Bilton: Changes will be made to buses at peak times on weekdays.

3 Harrogate – Jennyfield: Changes will be made to buses at peak times on weekdays.

8 Harrogate – Knaresborough – Wetherby: This route will be taken over by 21 Transport on behalf of the council. The firm said Transdev tickets will no longer be valid on this route.

21 Knaresborough – Boroughbridge: Changes ‘to improve reliability’ will be introduced.

24 Harrogate – Pateley Bridge: Changes ‘to improve reliability’ will be introduced.

36 Leeds – Harrogate – Ripon: Changes ‘to improve reliability’ will be introduced.

S1 Ripley – Rossett School: A new school bus will serve pupils from Ripley to Harrogate Grammar School and Rossett School. It added people in Jennyfields who currently use the 620H should switch to the S1.

S2 and S6 Bilton – Rossett School: The S2 and S6 will merge into a single route, which will follow the route of the regular 2 bus around Bilton. A large double decker bus will be provided which is sufficient for all customers, it added.

S8 Woodlands – Rossett School: Changes ‘to improve reliability’ will be introduced.

620H Dacre – Rossett School: This route will be taken over by another operator on behalf of the council. Harrogate Bus Company said it does not know which firm will take over, but added it will no longer serve Jennyfields. It advised residents to use the S1 instead.

727H Jennyfield – Harrogate Grammar School

The Harrogate Bus Company, which has not released any further information on the changes, said timetables will be available ‘soon’.

The changes will come into effect on Sunday, April 7.

The Health and Safety Executive is to lead an investigation into the death of a man at a vehicle recovery garage in Ripon on Friday, March 29.

An unnamed man in his 30s died at Macadam on Boroughbridge Road following what police described at the time as an “industrial accident”.

The victim was from the Darlington area.

Ambulance, air ambulance, fire and police were called at about 8am.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Police today whether anyone had been arrested or charged.

The force issued a brief statement today which did not comment on this. It said:

“We are assisting the accident investigation lead by the Health and Safety Executive.”

The HSE, a non-departmental public body, is responsible for workplace safety in the UK.

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Ripon received a surprise visitor when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived for an unannounced hour-long walkabout and meetings with local businesses and politicians.

Yesterday’s Totally Locally street party organised by the city’s independent traders and supported by Ripon Business Improvement District, provided a platform for Mr Sunak, along with Keane Duncan, the Conservative Party candidate for next month’s York and North Yorkshire mayoral election, to mingle with crowds on Market Square.

The Bank Holiday Monday event, which was launched last year, is designed to raise awareness of what the ancient city has to offer in a modern-day economy.

BID manager Lilla Bathurst, said:

“The Prime Minister was able to see for himself what the collaborative efforts of Ripon’s strong mix of independent retail and  hospitality businesses can achieve.

“There are clear indicators, both in terms of the investment in new openings and refurbishments in the city centre and footfall analysis, that a post-pandemic revival is underway.”

City councillor and deputy mayor elect Jackie Crozier (pictured below)  whose award-winning Little Bird Made artisan markets are held on Market Square and locations across Yorkshire, introduced Mr Sunak to coffee maker Tom Bolland of the Happy Barista — a regular attendee  at the Little Bird events.

For 11-year-old Lilly, daughter of Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams, there was an opportunity for a photograph with Mr Sunak outside Ripon’s historic town hall.

Rishi Sunak, pictured with Cllr Andrew Williams and his daughter Lilly.

Cllr Williams said:

“There’s an interesting fact that links our current Prime Minster with one dating back to 1827, because the Marquess of Ripon, who donated the town hall building to the then borough council in 1897 after two terms as mayor of the city, was born at 10 Downing Street while his father Viscount Goderich was in office.”

Mayoral candidates

The election for the first mayor of the York and North Yorkshire combined authority will take place on Thursday May 2 and, in addition to the Conservative Keane Duncan, the other candidates are:

• Felicity Cunliffe-Lister (Lib Dem)
• Kevin Foster (Green Party)
• Paul Haslam (Independent)
• David Skaith (Labour),
• Keith Tordoff (Independent)

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Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In March, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the Spring Budget, which included plans to cut national insurance contributions by a further 2p, and North Yorkshire Council reported a rise in local hate crimes following the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Here’s what we know about analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP.

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what found on Conservative Andrew Jones:

• On March 11, Mr Jones attended Parliament’s Commonwealth 70th Anniversary Ceremony.
• He also spoke in the House of Commons about the Spring Budget, which he said he “supported”, on March 12.
• The Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative Association received a £3,000 to donation from an individual on March 13.
• On March 18, Mr Jones voted in favour of all ten amendments to the Safety of Rwanda Bill.
• He also met members of the Community Security Trust, Antisemitism Policy Trust and Jewish Leadership Council to discuss the antisemitic incidents report.
• On March 21, Mr Jones asked the Leader of the House for a debate to discuss the Prime Minister’s announcement about apprenticeships.

When we contacted Mr Jones for comment, his office sent details of March engagements.

These included meeting with business leaders in Harrogate town centre, as well as asking the Health Ministers about boosting dental capacity and the role of dental centres of excellence.

Mr Jones also held an AGM for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport.

In addition, he asked transport ministers about ensuring train driver vacancies are filled and “appropriate training prioritised”.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

In Ripon, here is what we found on Conservative Julian Smith:

• Mr Smith made no spoken contributions in the Houses of Parliament in March.
• He voted in favour of amendments one to eight of the Safety of Rwanda Bill.
• On March 14, Mr Smith met with the chief executive of North Yorkshire Council about the latest closure of the A59 at Kex Gill.
• He welcomed news of government funding into grassroots sports in Skipton and Ripon reaching nearly £300,000.

We contacted Julian Smith for comment, but his office directed us towards the press releases on his website.

They included visiting Ripon’s Prison and Police Museum to mark English Tourism Week.

Mr Smith welcomed a £60 million government package to help businesses create more apprenticeships, which would be delivered across his constituency.

He also supported news of more than £530,000 of funding to the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Service, which will go towards adult social care.

Mr Smith also visited Whittaker’s Gin, in Dacre, and signed a whisky cask.

Keir Mather, Selby and Ainsty MP.

In Selby and Ainsty, which includes parts of south Harrogate, here is what we found on Labour MP Keir Mather:

• Mr Mather updated his Facebook page nearly 30 times this month. None of the updates related to areas of his constituency which fall in Harrogate.
• On March 12, he spoke at his first Budget Resolutions debate in the House of Commons. He felt the Budget failed to grasp the “economic opportunities of our time”.
• Mr Mather voted against all ten amendments to the Safety of Rwanda Bill.
• On March 4, he also made a spoken contribution to a debate on farming.

When we contacted Mr Mather for comment, his office sent a list of some of his March highlights.

These included visiting Kirk Hammerton Primary School to speak to students about Parliament.

He also welcomed the Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP, to speak to constituents about rural crime.

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A man in his 30s has died in what police are describing as an “industrial accident” in Ripon today (March 29).

Ambulance, air ambulance, fire and police were called to vehicle rescue garage Macadam on Boroughbridge Road at about 8am.

North Yorkshire Police said in a statement the man, who was from the Darlington area, was certified dead at the scene.

His name has not been released and no further details are available.

The statement added:

“His family have been informed and are being supported by the police.

“Police are assisting the accident investigation alongside North Yorkshire Council’s environmental health team.”

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Yorkshire Water is set to spend £2.7 million on work to improve the water quality of a Kirkby Malzeard beck.

The firm said today the project, which will take place at the village’s wastewater treatment works, aims to reduce the levels of phosphorus in Kex Beck, which eventually joins the River Laver near Ripon.

High phosphorous levels, which are caused by issues such as sewage and agricultural run-off, can reduce water quality and lead to fish deaths.

The project, which will be delivered by engineering firm Tilbury Douglas, is part of Yorkshire Water’s £500 million investment into phosphorus removal across Yorkshire.

Project manager Simon Balding said:

“The quality of the water in our local rivers is incredibly important for the environment and to our customers.

“Reducing the amount of phosphorus entering the watercourse within treated wastewater is one of the ways in which we are committed to continuing to improve the health of our rivers.”

Phosphorus is often found in household products, including washing detergents and shampoo, as well as in land fertilisers.

The firm said it is an “essential part of many ecosystems” but can become damaging to human and animal life if left unmanaged.

The project, which Yorkshire Water said will “positively impact” around 7.5 miles of the Kex Beck watercourse, is set to begin next month and be completed by spring 2025.

It comes months after the firm announced a similar scheme at the Killinghall wastewater treatment works.

It said in November it would spend £19 million on new technologies to reduce phosphorous levels in the river Nidd.

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