Ripon’s inner-city bus service to be extended to Ure Bank

A route on Ripon’s city-wide bus service is being extended to serve residents living in the Ure Bank area.

Launched last April, the service has guaranteed funding for four years and the prospect of more to follow.

Councillor Peter Horton, chair of Ripon City Council’s transport group, told the Stray Ferret:

“The Ure Bank extension has been approved by North Yorkshire Council and will come on stream from April.

“Usage of the bus service is steadily increasing across the four routes that serve the city and we are delighted that its reach is being extended to take in another residential area in Ripon.”

The runs from Monday to Saturday and city council leader Andrew Williams, who is also the North Yorkshire Council member for the Minster and Moorside division, said:

“We have been able to make this happen with the support of the new unitary authority, in addition to section 106 monies from retail and residential developments in Ripon and money from the city council’s contingency fund.

“Looking beyond the first four years, we will be seeking further section 106 contributions to support the service as more residential schemes, such as West Lane, come on stream.”

Picture: The Ripon bus service covers for routes

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Three fire crews called to Ripon house blaze

Firefighters from Ripon, Boroughbridge and Harrogate were called to a house fire in Ripon last night.

The crews were alerted to smoke billowing from the roof of a detached home in the Gallows Hill area of the city at 6.21pm.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used the aerial ladder platform  based at Harrogate Fire Station to tackle the fire on the third floor.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident report said:

“The cause was believed to be radiated heat from the flue of a wood-burning stove.”

No further details have been released.

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A week of floods, facial recognition cameras and ice rink meltdown

Welcome to a new weekly feature rounding up some of my favourite articles on the Stray Ferret each week.

We often publish more than a dozen stories a day and it’s easy to miss things. Hopefully this digest will give you the chance to catch up.

The Harrogate ice rink saga has been one of our best read stories of the week. The rink has been criticised for slushy ice, rusty skates and slow refunds. It’s difficult not to feel some sympathy because — ironically — a winter wonderland attraction has been somewhat undone by the northern winter, which has forced its closure rather too regularly.

The company running it said this week it won’t be back for Christmas 2024.

As editor, one of the questions I’m asked most is ‘when is the new Lidl opening in Ripon?’. It was granted planning permission in September 2021 and we have an update on one of the slowest moving but most popular local retail stories here.

We also have news of a fascinating dual enterprise by two sisters in the former Dangerfield & Keane salon on Cold Bath Road in Harrogate. Ever used a hyperbaric chamber?

It’s been a week of rain and flood. The Ford car stuck in the ford over the River Skell in Ripon has caused a bit of a ripple. It was still there yesterday. The weather may be improving but Boroughbridge rarely looks prettier than when the River Ure floods, as happened this week.

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How do you feel about walking through Harrogate town centre and having facial recognition cameras matching your features to those of police suspects? It could happen if Conservative Keane Duncan is elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire this year. Read more here.

Who remembers Knaresborough’s new primary school? You’d be forgiven if you didn’t given that it was pledged nearly four years ago and not a jot of progress appears to have happened. We got an update this week.

The week ahead should see Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones appear before the Liberal Democrat-controlled area constituency committee of North Yorkshire Council. It could be tetchy.

Enjoy the site. If you have a view on any of our articles, or indeed anything else that’s bugging you about life in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Pateley Bridge and Masham, do email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk and we will consider it for publication in our Stray Views letters page.

And if you don’t already, sign up to our new look daily bulletins for a round-up of the news every evening in your inbox. Click on the link below.

 

Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is coming to an end – get your last minute donations in

The Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal will come to an end this weekend after almost two months of raising vital funds for Dementia Forward.

You can still donate to the appeal until midnight on Sunday, January 7.

So far we have raised around £8,000 for the charity, which will go towards funding a new minibus.

Jill Quinn MBE, chief executive at Dementia Forward, said:

“We really value the support that The Stray Ferret and all your readers have given us this Christmas.
“The stories and videos have shone a light on our services, and we really hope that everyone has a good understanding of what Dementia Forward offers to people in the local community, and knows where to turn if they ever they need us.
“It is exciting that we have received enough donations to be able to lease a new minibus for the next two years, so that we can continue to provide vital transport for people living with dementia in the Harrogate District.
“Once again, huge thanks and we wish everyone a very happy and healthy 2024!”

We didn’t reach our target, but we know times are tough and the money raised will still make a huge difference to the lives of those living with dementia and the people struggling around them.

Director of The Stray Ferret, Tamsin O’Brien said:

“We’d like to thank VIDA Healthcare for its wonderful support of our Christmas Appeal. As someone who’s family has experienced the heartbreak of Alzheimers, this was an appeal close to my heart.

“Thank you to everyone who donated. Please give generously this weekend — you never know when you may be in need of Dementia Forward’s help too.”

The appeal was kindly sponsored by Vida Healthcare.

New law firm opens in Ripon

A new family law firm has opened in Ripon.

Wildblood Legal, which is based at Ripon Community House, offers support on divorce and finances, children, nuptial agreements and mediation services.

Owner Amanda de Winter, who is from Ripon, qualified as barrister in 1998 and will be on hand to offer services alongside a family solicitor.

She said:

“I’m really looking forward to the challenge.

“We have had a great response since we opened last month.”

The firm offers free initial consultations, as well as help with documents such as wills, lasting power of attorney and partnership agreements.

Wildblood Legal, which launched in December, is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

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Ripon woman to climb Yorkshire three peaks to mark one-year ‘cancerversary’

A Ripon woman is set to climb the Yorkshire three peaks this year to mark one year since her cancer diagnosis.

Loren Fidler, 31, was diagnosed with grade 3, stage 2, ER+HER2- breast cancer in May 2023.

Since that “world-shattering” day, Ms Fidler has undergone four surgeries on one breast, which ultimately led to a full mastectomy, and 14 rounds of chemotherapy.

She still requires another two more rounds of chemotherapy, as well as a bi-lateral mastectomy on her other breast.

However, she recently decided to make her “come back” exactly a year after her diagnosis by climbing the Yorkshire three peaks:

“It was a world-shattering day. I want this to be my come back a year later – a way of turning my cancer-versary around.”

Ms Fidler hopes to complete the 38.6km challenge in one day, but says she will “see how her body copes” during her training climbs.

She will be joined by her partner, who has carried her through this time, as well as her sister and her 10-year-old niece.

The mother-of-two told the Stray Ferret:

“Other than cancer (obviously), this will be the biggest challenge I have ever done.

“I’m nervous but I’m excited to see what my body can do.”

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Ms Fidler said she coped relatively well for the first six months, but added she “crashed and burned mentally” following her fourth surgery and has since faced an “uphill struggle”.

“I was quite naïve at first.

“I found the lump when I was in the shower, but I was ignorant about young cancer and had never checked my breast.

“I’d given birth a year before, so I was very lucky the doctor didn’t just attribute it to a blocked milk duct.

“After that, I sort of thought I’d just be able to have my surgery and go through chemo and that would be it – but it’s been a real mental struggle.”

Ms Fidler will tackle the three peaks in May and hopes to raise £5,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

She also hopes to host a raffle to boost the funds and invites any businesses that may be interested in donating prizes to contact her via her Instagram page.

She also issued a plea to Stray Ferret readers:

“Please check your breasts. Be your own hero – your own advocate.

“The sooner you find something the better, but these things don’t just go away because you’re scared.”

Lidl scraps plan to open Ripon retail park store

Discount retailer Lidl will no longer be opening a supermarket on St Michael’s Retail Park in Ripon, the Stray Ferret understands.

The news comes more than two years after the company was granted planning permission for the site in September 2021.

The Stray Ferret understands the German retailer’s contract expired following ongoing delays in the project. However, it remains keen to open a store in the city.

At the time of approval, Lidl said the Ripon supermarket would create up to 40 jobs and have a sales area of 1,100 sqm.

The store would have taken over the three empty units at the Rotary Way retail park.

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However, Lidl is searching for new site locations across the UK, with Harrogate and Ripon both featuring in its list of priority locations published last autumn.

The company said it requires “prominent locations with easy access” and “strong pedestrian or traffic flow”. Town centres, the edge of town centres or retail parks are also a site requirement, it added.

On the subject of opening more stores, Ryan McDonnell, Lidl GB CEO, said in April last year: 

“The last few years have been challenging for everyone, but we’ve made it clear that we’re more committed than ever to ensuring that every single household has access to a Lidl store. 

“That’s why our focus is firmly on the future as we continue to grow and invest in our infrastructure, while keeping a lookout for more sites and locations across the country.”

The search for sites comes as part of Lidl’s plan to open more than 1,100 new stores across the UK.

The supermarket chain already operates store in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Person suffers leg injury following Bishop Thornton crash

A person was injured following a crash near Bishop Thornton this morning.

A witness told the Stray Ferret the collision happened at a crossroads on Fountains Road near the village.

North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue incident log said the collision happened at 10:12am. It said:

“Both Harrogate crews responded to a road traffic collision involving two vehicles.

“All casualties were out on arrival when fire crews arrived.”

The service added that crews helped with “scene safety” and causalities were transported to hospital in an ambulance.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said the injured person suffered a “possible broken leg”.

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Grantley Hall near Ripon wins helipad appeal

Grantley Hall has won an appeal against a council order preventing it from using a helipad after an alleged planning breach.

The former Harrogate Borough Council issued an enforcement notice in September 2022 against the hotel for using the helipad for take off and landings without planning permission.

However, the luxury hotel, which is located five miles west of Ripon, challenged the order and appealed to the government’s Planning Inspectorate.

In documents submitted to a planning inspector, the hotel argued that there was “clear evidence for the demand for this facility”.

But, the council argued that the helipad location caused damage to the area and the significance of a heritage asset in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Now, a planning inspector has sided with the hotel over the matter and quashed the enforcement order.

Picture of the helipad in the Grantley Hall grounds, as submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.

Picture of the helipad in the Grantley Hall grounds, as submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.

B S Rogers, the inspector who oversaw the appeal, said in a report that he recognised that the hotel had already offered conditions for the proposal in a report know as the “Grantley Hall Hotel Helipad Aviation Summary Report”.

These included restricting flights to 72 visits a year, restricting arrival and departures between 9am and 7pm and that the hotel retain flight data and provide this to the council upon request.

Mr Rogers said it was common ground between the two parties that uncontrolled use of the site would “not be acceptable in this highly sensitive location”.

However, he added that compliance with the conditions would mean the helipad would not “unduly harm the historic environment, the natural environment or the living conditions of local residents”.

Mr Rogers said:

“It would provide a small but significant additional benefit to the local economy. As such, the development would not unduly conflict with the provisions of the development plan or of national policy.”

In response to the appeal outcome, Nuno César de Sá, general manager at Grantley Hall, said:

“Grantley Hall is delighted with the outcome of the appeal and the positive impact this will bring to our business.

“As the hotel enters its’ fifth year of operation and with trading going from strength to strength this decision will allow us to continue to attract key clients to the hotel who wish to arrive by helicopter.

“We will work closely with the local authority to fulfil the operational obligations set in place and remain open to constructive feedback and communication with relevant parties to ensure that minimum disruption is caused within our local environment.”

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Three planning withdrawals

The hotel withdrew plans for the helicopter landing pad for a third time in June 2021 after council officers recommended rejecting the proposal.

Nidderdale AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), Grantley and Sawley Parish Council and several residents objected to the plans, with one local describing the application as “totally unnecessary” and “self-fulfilling”.

The hotel has withdrawn three applications and had another rejected since first asking for permission to use an existing helipad in 2018.

Grantley Hall opened as a hotel after a £70 million refurbishment in 2019.

It was once used by West Riding County Council between 1947 and 1974 as an adult education residential college, as well as a training and conference centre by North Yorkshire County Council.

Police appeal following indecent exposure in Ripon

North Yorkshire Police has appealed for information following a report of indecent exposure in Ripon.

The force said a witness reported seeing a man on Park Street who had his hood up and both hands near his genitals.

The incident happened on Christmas Eve.

A police statement added:

“The witness reported she believed he was performing a sexual act.

“The male is described as white, aged between 60 and 75, with straight hair poking out of hood.

“He was wearing distinctive khaki-coloured socks with baggy trousers which looked strapped to the leg or belted. He was wearing a coat that was long and beige, and not waterproof.”

Officers have asked members of the public to “be vigilant” and report any information that could assist the investigation:

“Call 101, quoting reference 12230243453, for the attention of the York Initial Enquiry Team.”

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