Ripon Archives - Page 82 of 203

Hot Seat: leading the Ripon firm that keeps Britain’s roads moving

Jonathan Lupton started out power-washing muck spreaders when he joined Econ Engineering aged 15 in 1983.

Being one of three sons of founder Bill Lupton, he was always likely to rise through the ranks.

But it has been quite a journey. Mr Lupton has laid sand on The Mall in London during one of the late Queen’s jubilees and overseen the growth of a business that started in a farmyard barn 50 years ago to one that now employs 250 staff and has a turnover of £44 million.

Econ sells and leases gritters, salt spreaders and pothole-fixing hotboxes to local authorities and private contractors. As the firm likes to say, ‘our fame is spreading’. It’s no idle boast: Econ is Ripon’s biggest employer and has 85% of the winter maintenance market in Britain as well as selling into eastern Europe.

It manufactures the machines at a nine-acre factory on the outskirts of the city, where the workforce includes a robot welder. Apart from the chassis, all components are made here. It’s like a mini-Steel City where plates of alloy are cut and moulded into the gritters and snow ploughs that keep Britain’s roads moving in winter, including here in North Yorkshire.

Last year Econ opened a £7 million site in Sowerby, near Thirsk to hold its burdgeoning 1,000-strong fleet. It also has small depots in Cardiff in Wales and Alloa in Scotland.

Econ’s new site at Sowerby

This local success story is rooted in humble — and at times slightly zany — origins. Founder Bill Lupton, a longhorn cattle breeder who liked to invent things, initially sold farming products. His creations included a mid mounted hedge and verge trimmer followed by the first spinning salt distribution gritter.

Jonathan chuckles at the memory of his dad, who he says was “better at inventing things than patenting them”. Bill’s legacy continues to loom large over the company he founded in 1969, but in the late 1980s it pivoted away from agriculture to highways. Jonathan became a director in 1998 and for years ran the business alongside his brother, Andrew.

Together they developed Econ to the point where its latest accounts, for the year ending 31 March 2022, showed turnover of £43.7 million and profit of £10.41 million.

Made in Ripon

This year has been tougher, with the doubling of steel prices posing a huge headache on top of the standard energy and price rises all businesses have encountered. Brexit hasn’t helped either. Jonathan says:

“In hindsight it’s probably been a bad thing for us because it’s hampered us selling into Europe. I voted for it but it was the wrong call.”

But everything pales in comparison with the terrible weekend in January last year, when Jonathan lost both his brothers. He recalls:

“I buried my younger brother on the Friday and then Andrew had a massive heart attack that night. In the early hours of Saturday morning we were at Harrogate hospital and we lost him in the early hours of Sunday morning.”

Staff are raising £20,000 for the British Heart Foundation this year in Andrew’s memory.

The launch of Econ’s British Heart Foundation fundraising partnership this year.

Jonathan, who lives in Galphay, is very hands-on at Econ. Has losing both brothers made him consider selling-up and taking more time to pursue his passions for cycling and motor racing or walking the dogs on the beach at Sandsend? He says:

“It’s made me more determined to keep it going. My brother would have wanted the legacy to continue.”

Econ’s shareholding is now split between Jonathan and Andrew’s estate. Andrew’s son, Thomas, works for Econ and Jonathan says without hesitation Econ will remain a family-run business.

Looking ahead, he predicts hotboxes, which local authorities use to fix potholes. will account for a larger proportion of businesses.

Councils are also under pressure to reach carbon reduction schemes, and this week Econ launched its first electric gritter at the Cold Comfort 2023 trade show in Harrogate.

People love to berate the state of the roads — but this company in Ripon does more than perhaps anyone else to keep Britain moving in winter.

North Yorkshire Council to axe YorBus service

North Yorkshire Council will axe the YorBus service next month nearly two years after it was launched.

The service, which operates between Ripon, Bedale, and Masham, was launched as a pilot scheme by the council in July 2021 to offer rural residents low-cost journeys on demand.

The service could be booked by residents via an app.

However, council officials have decided to axe the service as it had become too expensive to run. As a result, it will end on June 30.

The authority added that the cost per journey of YorBus was “significantly higher than the traditional, timetabled bus routes”.

The pilots costs around £230,000 to operate annually, but latest figures suggest YorBus journeys cost over twice as much as a scheduled service.

A YorBus service, which operates in Masham and Ripon.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, said:

“We launched the YorBus pilot two years ago to enhance our existing public transport network.

“It has allowed us to gather valuable information about the costs and benefits of running a digital demand responsive bus service.

“Without sufficient additional funding being available to expand the service so YorBus can benefit residents across North Yorkshire, and with costs per journey remaining so high despite efforts to improve value for money, the pilot will come to an end as planned next month.”

When discussing the service coming to an end, he added:

“This will allow us to be fair to all residents and focus every penny of our limited resources on supporting bus services across the county at a time of unprecedented pressure.

“While continuing to work closely with operators to support at-risk services, we are also currently reviewing a number of initiatives to improve rural transport and asking the public for their views to help shape our future strategy.”

In 2022, the council bid for £116 million to improve bus services as part of the Government’s Bus Back Better scheme, but was unsuccessful. An expansion of the YorBus service was earmarked if the funding had been granted.

The two YorBus vehicles will be returned for use on other local bus services and drivers will be redeployed.

Earlier this week, the council launched the Let’s Talk Transport survey, asking residents to share their travel habits in hopes to develop the travel strategy for the coming decades.

Bus routes 136, 138, 138A, 139, 144 and 159 will continue to run, as well as alternative community transport operators in the area where YorBus ran.

Alternative travel options can be found here.

Harrogate and Ripon libraries host house history exhibition

Harrogate and Ripon libraries are hosting an exhibition which encourages people to discover the history of their past or present homes.

The House History exhibition was created by North Yorkshire Council’s county record office, which has resources dating back 700 years. It includes details of resources residents can use to investigate the history of their home.

The records can help to pinpoint changes in ownership, former occupants, how the land has been used and the history of the wider area.

The touring exhibition is currently on display at Harrogate Library until June 3. It will then be at Ripon Library from June 12 to 30.

Cllr Simon Myers, the council’s executive member for libraries, said:

“The exhibition proved very popular when it was on display in the record office at the end of last year, so we are delighted to be able to share it with library-goers.

“The touring exhibition includes a range of material from historic maps, architectural drawings and old photographs to historic property deeds and electoral registers.

“Every home has its own unique history so we hope you can use your own detective skills to embark on a fascinating and rewarding journey into your home’s history.”

The touring exhibition is not about exploring the history of a specific house but guiding people to learn about their own home. It can be a complex study and which of the record office’s resources will be relevant depends on the age and location of the house.

To delve into the history of your home, visitors can use the resources in the county record office search room at Northallerton. where they will have free access to online resources such as census records.

An online guide is available here.

Witness appeal after collision near Ripon leaves driver with serious injuries

A woman has been left with serious injuries after a collision between two vehicles in Studley Roger near Ripon.

A white Citroen car and a white Volkswagen Crafter van were travelling in opposite directions on Limekiln Bank when they collided at around 2.05pm on Monday.

The driver of the Citroen suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:

“We are appealing for any witnesses who may have seen the collision itself, or either vehicle immediately prior to them colliding, along with any dashcam footage.”

Anyone with information should contact PC Michael Spittlehouse by emailing Michael.spittlehouse@northyorkshire.police.uk or calling 101 and asking for him, using incident number 12230092030.

Automated golf range now open seven days a week

The story is sponsored by Ripon Golf Range.

Golf enthusiasts can practice swinging the irons every day of the year following an overhaul of facilities at Ripon Golf Range.

Until recently, the range, behind Ripon City Golf Club, was only open at irregular times and was closed on Mondays, but a new management team has turned it into a fully automated seven-day-a-week facility, open from 8am to 8pm every day.

Photo of female golfer lining up a shot from one of the outside bays at Ripon Golf Range, with a green basket of golf balls in the foreground.

The range has both covered and outdoor bays.

There are nine floodlit covered bays, so you stay dry and comfortable even if it starts raining, plus seven outdoor bays, where you can pitch to three separate greens at different distances.

A new machine has also been installed, which takes all debit and credit cards, as well accepting digital payment from phones or watches.

Balls cost £3 for 30, £6 for 60, £8 for 90, or just £10 for 120, and a loyalty card scheme offers 25% discount.

Anyone wanting to practise can simply turn up, pay for however many balls they want – and drive and chip away.

Sawley resident Simon G is so impressed with the new arrangements that he’s become a regular customer. He said:

“I’m very happy with the extended opening hours, and with the ease of being able to practise at my convenience.”

Players who really want to fine-tune their skills can even opt for tuition from a PGA qualified coach who is on site on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. One-to-one lessons costs £35 for a 30-minute session, or £175 for six sessions. Junior clinics on Sunday afternoons are available at £7 per session.

Find out more:

For full details of what’s on offer at Ripon Golf Range or to book a sessions with a PGA qualified coach, go to www.ripongolfrange.com.

‘Summary’ of never-published £85,000 Ripon regeneration plan to be released

North Yorkshire Council is set to produce a “summary document” for a long-delayed project which aimed to present a new vision for Ripon.

The Ripon Renewal scheme was set up to produce a masterplan for the regeneration of the city.

The former Harrogate Borough Council commissioned Bauman Lyons Architects to draw up the vision at a cost of £85,000 in 2021.

The company was tasked with producing funding options and a business case for Ripon to bid for money for regeneration projects.

However, the project failed to produce a blueprint for the city some two-and-a-half years after it started.

Officials at North Yorkshire Council, which has since taken over the scheme, said an agreement could not be reached with the contractor after talks to extend the contract.

When the Stray Ferret asked for an update on the status of the Ripon Renewal scheme, Nic Harne, corporate director for community development at the council, said it remained committed to regenerating Ripon, adding:

“The Ripon Renewal project took much longer than had been envisaged when it was set up.

“This meant it was necessary to enter into discussions with Bauman Lyons Architects about a variation of the contract to complete the work. An agreement on the terms could not be reached and the contract has now ended. The project cost remained within the contracted budget.

“Our officers have now carried out a review of the work undertaken and have brought together a summary document, which will be circulated to stakeholders within the project group soon.

“The document will include information about the projects and opportunities for taking the ethos of the Ripon Renewal project forward.”

Councillors in Ripon previously described the delay in the scheme as “absolute nonsense”.

At a council meeting in March, Cllr Andrew Williams, who represents Ripon Minster and Moorside on North Yorkshire Council, said:

“It’s astonishing that we’ve spent £85,000 of public money to get nothing, not even a draft executive summary from a consultant — that’s how bad this is.

“A lot of time has spent on this by organisations in the city but it’s fallen off a cliff-edge. It’s an absolute nonsense.”

New Ripon homes given to families on council waiting list

Three new council houses built on the site of former garages in Ripon are now being occupied by local families, the council has announced.

North Yorkshire Council said the homes, in Holmefield Road, have been allocated to people on the waiting list for houses.

They each have two or three bedrooms and feature air source heat pumps, solar panels and triple glazing, producing between 0.2 and 0.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year compared with the six tonnes produced by an average home.

Claire Edwards, who will move into one of the houses with partner Sharon this weekend, has been a council tenant for 32 years. She said:

“This is the first time I have moved into a brand new house and I can’t wait to get there. I am literally moving round the corner, but we are downsizing, which gives someone else a chance to be rehoused, too. They are lovely homes – I feel very lucky.”

The houses are the latest to be developed in a scheme which uses council-owned land used to create new homes, which are then let as social housing.

Almost 60 homes across Harrogate and Craven have been developed through the scheme in the last five years using £2.3 million of government funding. A further nine homes are being developed in the Harrogate district: seven in Harrogate and two in Sharow.

The three Ripon homes are the first to be occupied since North Yorkshire Council took responsibility for housing when Harrogate Borough Council, which had originally granted planning permission, was abolished at the end of March.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for housing, Cllr Simon Myers, said:

“These are the first new social rented affordable homes delivered by North Yorkshire Council and are part of an on-going programme to make a big difference to the lives and well-being of local families.

“Across the county there are plots of unused land – particularly garages that are too small to be used for cars and end up overgrown, derelict and a haven for anti-social behaviour. Many of these areas would never be touched by developers as they can be complicated to bring forward.

“It is a pioneering initiative and just one of the ways we can create much-needed affordable homes in the county – we also work with housing associations and through our commercial arm, Brierley Homes.”

Matthew Wright, from the government’s housing agency Homes England, added:

“Despite the current challenges affecting the country, accelerating housebuilding remains our number one priority.

“We are committed to supporting North Yorkshire Council’s ambitions to build new homes and our investment through affordable housing grant allows us to do that.

“We’re delighted that this funding will enable North Yorkshire Council to deliver much-needed new homes in Ripon and other parts of North Yorkshire.”

Bird flu kills 70 birds at nature reserve near Ripon

More than 70 birds have died at a nature reserve near Ripon after an outbreak of bird flu.

The outbreak has affected a colony of breeding black-headed gulls at Nosterfield Nature Reserve.

Staff and volunteers have been forced to wear specially designed PPE suits, hats and gloves to collect the corpses from the 60-hectare site.

Visitors have been warned that they could see distressing scenes with more birds likely to die from the disease in the coming weeks.

Simon Warwick, director of the Lower Ure Conservation Trust which runs Nosterfield, said:

“The gullery is in front of the main hide at Nosterfield and is usually a hive of activity in spring, with noisy adults feeding lots of hungry young.

“The disease is affecting many adult birds so you can imagine that what is happening at the moment is traumatic to say the least.

“But we are powerless to stop the spread of bird flu. Our biggest fear is the virus spreading to breeding lapwing and curlew, two species for which Nosterfield is famous.”

The disease has killed black-headed gulls at several wetland sites across Yorkshire.

More than 1,000 gulls have died across the county so far, with the number expected to rise.

Visitors have been told under no circumstances to go near a dead or dying bird at the reserve. Dogs should also be kept on short leads during visits.

Mr Warwick added:

“Away from the main hide there is so much to see at Nosterfield at the moment, so our advice certainly to people with young children is come along but stay away from the main hide.”

Business Breakfast: Harrogate hotel group recognised in national workplace guide

It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. Our next networking event is after-work drinks at Manahatta, on May 25th at 5:30.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

A hotel company which runs three hotels in the Harrogate district has been listed in a Sunday Times workplace guide.

The Inn Collection Group has been recognised as one of the best places to work in the national guide for 2023.

The firm, which operates the Harrogate Inn, Knaresborough Inn and Ripon Inn, was included alongside organisations such as the Alzheimer’s Society Bella Italia, and Octopus Energy.

The inns were previously known as the St George Hotel, the Dower House and Ripon Spa Hotel.

Local companies CloudNine and LCF Law were also recognised.

Liz Robertson, people director at the Inn Collection Group, said:

“We’re delighted that our people are enjoying their time with ICG and that we have been officially recognised as a great place to work as a result.

“Supporting our teams is incredibly important for us, be that with our exciting development programmes, our Inn Safe Hands initiative or even just our excellent benefits package.

“Making people happy is what we are about and that extends to our own too.”

Ripon retailers organise bank holiday buskers

Retailers in Ripon have organised for buskers to perform in the city centre this coming bank holiday weekend.

Organised by Ripon Business Improvement District and independent businesses, performers will be situated around the streets to draw in more people to the centre on Monday, May 29.

Visitors will be invited to follow a route around the city, taking in Kirkgate, North Street and Westgate.

Little Bird Artisan Market will be on the marketplace. From there, visitors can find maps showing the streets where buskers will perform and where shops are hosting fun activities and special offers.

Busking is throughout the city all afternoon, with music from Ripon and visiting guests from Teeside, York and Leeds.

For more information on the event, visit the Ripon BID website here.

Bishop Monkton WW2 veteran gets military surprise on 100th birthday

An army veteran from Bishop Monkton, near Ripon, has received a military-themed surprise on his 100th birthday to thank him for his service during the Second World War.

Family and friends of Ernest Tindall laid on afternoon tea at the local village pub, the Masons Arms, to mark his 100th birthday.

Unknown to Ernest, they had also organised for a group of veterans to join the celebrations and to help him relive his military exploits.

Ernest’s wartime story

Ernest was just 18 when he joined the Army in 1941.

In May 1944 he was involved in the Battle of Monte Cassino, a crucial encounter as the Allies pushed north into Italy towards the end of the Second World War. In December of that year, he was injured in a grenade attack and taken prisoner.

He spent the remainder of the war in a prisoner of war camp in Austria. Ernest served with the 5th Northamptonshire Regiment, now part of the Royal Anglian Regiment.

Ernest was one of 10 children, eight of whom served in and survived the Second World War. Ernie is the last of his siblings still alive.

At this birthday tea, several ex-servicemen living in the village got together to add a military flavour to the celebrations.

A military historian from the nearby Army Foundation College in Harrogate gave a short talk about the campaigns Ernest was involved in.

The veterans also organised military memorabilia be brought to the celebration, including a new Royal Anglian beret for Ernest.

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Ripon retailers organise bank holiday buskers

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Ernest’s wartime story

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