New Clotherholme plans heighten fears for Ripon’s military heritage

The organisation fighting to save Ripon’s military heritage from being bulldozed has said it is “hugely disappointed” about updated plans for the 1,300-home Clotherholme housing scheme.

Government agencies Homes England and the Defence infrastructure Organisation provided the update in a planning report published on North Yorkshire Council’s website last week.

The homes will be built at the barracks site which contains internationally significant military structures, including huts constructed in 1939 when Neville Chamberlain’s government prepared for war with Germany and training bridges that influenced global warfare.

The demolition training bridge. Pic: Ripon Military Heritage Trust

The report pledged to “work with the Ripon Military Heritage Trust on a heritage strategy which will balance the urgent need for new homes for local people with a strategy for preserving and recording the unique history and heritage of the barracks”.

But the trust, which has launched a website as part of a campaign to preserve key aspects of the site, fears the agencies have shown little desire to co-operate since Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission in February last year and their pledges remain vague and opaque.

Trust chairman Guy Wilson said:

“We are hugely disappointed that after 15 months of engagement with Homes England, the current outline planning application lacks any provision for the preservation of even a single example of the rare and unique huts at Deverell Barracks.

“Neither has any land been allocated to allow for the relocation and re-use of these heritage assets. Both were specific requests that the Harrogate Borough Council planning committee called for in February 2023.

“It has sadly become apparent that none of the parties to this development has any real interest in preserving the heritage of the site and none has made any attempt to work constructively with us. All they are interested in is appearing to do enough to get their present plans passed without alteration, in which case the result will be that significant heritage assets will be lost and this we very much regret.”

The planning update said the housing scheme will preserve the main military roads and names as well as provide information signs.

How the site will look. Pic: Homes England

It also talks about “exploring ways to integrate a walking tour, virtual tour or to develop other forms of public exhibition at the site”.

One of the conditions of planning consent was to allocate £100,000 to the trust to conduct a feasibility study on preserving and retaining some of the existing military buildings on the site. But progress since then has been limited.

Mr Wilson said:

“Unfortunately, we are sceptical about their commitment to developing a feasibility study, as after 15 months of engagement with Homes England there has been no proper engagement with the real issues involved in preserving the heritage.

“During that period work has begun on producing an options appraisal; all the proposals put forward by the trust have been ignored and they have refused to allow the process to be based on a clear understanding of the assets’ heritage significance.”

He added:

“Where is the commitment to assess significance? Where is the list of assets to be preserved? Where is the agreement to transfer ownership of assets required? Where is the commitment to allocate the necessary land to relocate assets? Where is the commitment to build into the development timescale the reality of fund-raising?

“Instead of work on these crucial issues we have been stonewalled at every turn by all parties. Their heritage strategy is aimed at ticking boxes and getting approvals not at preserving the heritage.”

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Ripon Motor Boat Club unveils new slipway

Ripon Motor Boat Club has unveiled its new slipway.

The club, based in Littlethorpe, was established in 1931 and is now one of the largest inland private boat clubs in the UK.

It offers 140 boat berths and now boasts a new and improved slipway, which is used to draw out boats from the water for repairs and maintenance.

Club secretary, David Hughes, told the Stray Ferret the previous slipway became “unfit for purpose”.

He said the club has purchased land from a local farming family, called the Nicholson’s, several times over the years to expand the site. The club decided to build the slipway on land south of the marina, which was also bought from the Nicholson’s

Mr Hughes said:

“The new slipway would not only allow narrowboats up to 58’6 in length and 20 tonnes in weight to be drawn out of the water on the rail track system, but could also accommodate a purpose-built boat lift for cruisers weighing up to twelve tonnes and up to 35’ in length.

“This would then also give us the option to drive a boat into the dock, pick it up with the boat lift and then chock it up ashore at a suitable location and maximise our available space.”

Mr Hughes said members of the club volunteered to build the new marina, adding it took until the end of 2023 to complete the construction work.

The work was delayed due to the pandemic, “appalling” winter weather and technical difficulties along the way, he added.

Mr Hughes said the project, which was funded entirely by club members, cost an “inconsiderable sum” but declined to provide the Stray Ferret with a figure.

He added:

“Since completion, we have removed several narrow boats and quite a number of cruisers up to the stated capacity limits. Many of our members are wishing to make use of the facility in the coming months to catch up on maintenance tasks.”

The slipway lifting a boat. (From left) Elizabeth Nicholson and her daughter Lizzie with club Commodore, Geoff Graham

Mr Hughes also told the Stray Ferret the club debated what the new slipway should be called, adding:

“The most popular choice by far was to name the slipway after our long-term benefactors, the Nicholson’s, without whom we would not be here today.

“So, Nicholson’s Slipway it is.”

One of the club members crafted a stone plaque detailing the new name and construction period, he added.

The club held a grand opening last Saturday (April 20), where Elizabeth Nicholson and her daughter Lizzie declared the slipway officially open.

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Readers’ Letters: ‘Harrogate’s roads are deteriorating before our eyes’

Readers’ Letters is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. 

This letter follows news of the Otley Road cycleway in Harrogate being extended.

I use a mobility scooter to go up the pavements to the Co-op.

The pavements are a disgrace – as are the so-called dropped kerbs.

It improves a bit half-way up the road on the cycleway, but I have never actually seen a cyclist on the existing cycleway. Why? Because it’s dangerous and confusing!

The section I use has corrugated concrete which is a nightmare to cross. People with prams and elderly pedestrians also have issues.

I have contacted councillor Keane Duncan several times about the pavements, and the pedestrian crossing on Otley Road near the Prince of Wales roundabout.  He has replied at one stage about the crossing.  But he, and others from Highways, ignore my offer of going out with me on my scooter to let them see the state of pavements. They could use my scooter to see just how difficult it is.

Regarding his idea of buying The Grand Hotel, in Scarborough… I am speechless.

It is a beautiful historic building but does not warrant cllr Duncan spending tax payers’ money on it. Pavements and potholes should be a priority.

Ann Townson, Harrogate

Harrogate’s roads are deteriorating before our eyes…

On the topic of Harrogate roads, this letter bemoans the state of them. Few topics boil our readers’ blood more than potholes, gullies and poor road conditions.

Why, oh, why are our roads disintegrating before our eyes?

Surely the council should be thoroughly embarrassed, considering we live in a town that promotes cycling.

They waste money on harebrained schemes, such as the Gateway, but cannot plan road replacements.

And don’t even get me going about road gully maintenance.

Phil Brown, Harrogate

Ripon is becoming a ‘laughingstock’ with the number of construction projects

This letter responds to several potential and ongoing construction projects in Ripon, including the leisure centre, housing developments and the Cathedral annexe saga.

Ripon is becoming a laughing stock with the number of issues relating to construction projects.

Firstly, the farce of a leisure centre being built on totally unsuitable land.

Then there is the ridiculous state of the road around the Market Square and the housing development built on greenbelt land at the top of South Grange Road.

And now the absolute debacle of the Cathedral annexe.

It is an absolute joke, are the powers that be able to plan, or deliver, a construction project with any level of professionalism?

Tony Sidwell, Ripon

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

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Ripon’s Billie Marten set to perform at Glastonbury

Ripon singer songwriter Billie Marten is set to perform at Glastonbury Festival this summer.

The 24 year old indie-folk singer is set to make her Glastonbury debut on ‘The Field of Avalon’ stage, an area the festival describes as “representing the best in the world of contemporary, roots and folk music”.

She was born in the village of Risplith, just outside Ripon, and was introduced to music at a young age thanks to her parents who surrounded her with the music of Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, Joan Armatrading, Kate Bush, and northern folk artist Chris Wood.

Billie attended Ripon Grammar School and won a record deal alongside studying and released ‘Ribbon’ her debut single in May 2014 aged 14.

She was then signed to Chess Club Records, an imprint of Sony. Not long afterwards, she was nominated for the BBC Sound of 2016.

Billie Marten, image Chuffmedia

Her critically acclaimed debut album, ‘Writing of Blues and Yellows’ was also released in 2016, when she was just 17. The following year, she moved to London, where she worked on her 2019 album, ‘Feeding Seahorses By Hand.’

Towards the end of 2019, Billie left Sony and chose a new management team. She signed to Fiction records, a division of Universal, in lockdown via zoom where she released her 2021 album ‘Flora Fauna’.

Since then, she has toured frequently throughout the UK and US becoming known for her soft vocals, however, she has not yet performed to a crowd as big as Glastonbury.

My very first! @glastonbury pic.twitter.com/p8KcgiuAqj

— billie (@BillieMarten) April 16, 2024

Billie released her latest record ‘Drop Cherries’ at the start of the month on April 7 via Fiction Records.

Recorded entirely on tape in Somerset and Wales late last summer, ‘Drop Cherries’ marks the very first time that she has both written and co-produced one of her records.

The 24-year-old is set to perform on the same stage as Kate Nash, Lulu and Caity Baser at Glastonbury this summer.

The festival runs from June 26 to June 30.

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Tank will be on the Ripon Inn lawn for launch of D-Day anniversary celebrations

The countdown to Ripon’s D-Day commemoration and celebration events has begun and the unique life-size knitted tank created through a massive volunteer effort is ready to take up its central role.

Created through the collaborative input of Ripon Community Poppy Project and Ripon Men’s Shed, with back-up support from businesses and individuals across the community, the replica tank made of wood and wool, will be on the lawn at Ripon Inn on Tuesday (April 30) for the launch event.

Measuring 24 foot long, nine foot wide and seven foot high, it has been built in a hangar at Claro Barracks provided by 21 Engineer Regiment.

The replica tank will first go on display at The Ripon Inn and then move to other locations in the city

It is modelled on the Churchill AVRE bunker busting tank that was employed by Royal Engineers to clear the way for troops after they landed on the five Normandy beaches on June 6 1944, as part of Operation Overlord, which led to the liberation of Nazi-occupied Western Europe.

Stuart Martin of Ripon Community Poppy Project, told the Stray Ferret:

“The Royal Engineers who were awarded Freedom of the City of Ripon in 1949, in gratitude for the crucial role they played in the allied victory, can count the D-Day landings and what happened afterwards among their finest hours.

“This has been recognised across the Ripon community with volunteers collectively clocking up 100,000 hours of work since last year to ensure that we do them proud.”

The launch event starts at 11am on Tuesday and is open to members of the public. It will be attended by civic dignitaries, schoolchildren, volunteers and representatives of organisations and businesses that are playing a part in the D-Day 80th anniversary,

At the launch, there will be a display featuring the work of the trustees of the Ripon Military Heritage Trust, who are fighting to save priceless heritage buildings, bridges and other structures at the barracks site that are in danger of being bulldozed to make way for the 1,300-home Clotherholme development.

Events culminate on June 6, with the lighting of a beacon at 9.15pm on the piazza of Ripon Cathedral, by Jack Churchill, great-grandson of the legendary wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill.

D-Day 80th anniversary concert

Before the beacon is lit a concert will be held in the cathedral at 7pm. It will feature Ripon City Band, The Duchy Bells, The Dishforth Military Wives Choir and Charlotte Potter.

Proceeds will be shared between Ripon Community Poppy Project and Help the Heroes, the armed forces and veterans charity.

Tickets costing £15 are now on sale online from Eventbrite and from Ripon’s Stuff 4 Offices in  Fishergate and the Wakeman’s Cafe on Market Place South.

Stuart Martin (centre) is pictured with his Ripon Community Poppy Project colleague Hazel Barker and Richard Thomson of Ripon Men’s Shed

The stunning centrepiece model Churchill AVRE tank, has been created, along with other display items by the non-stop knitters of Ripon Community Poppy Project.

Richard Thomson and Gordon Woods of Ripon’s Men’s Shed, built the wooden frame of the mighty model war machine from timber valued at £2,500 that was donated by the Ripon branch of MKM Building Supplies.

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Editor’s Pick of the Week: Tim Stedman returns, a new mayor awaits and Ripon prepares for 1,300 homes

No corner of the Harrogate district has been immune to new housing in recent years but the sheer scale of the 1,300-home Clotherholme development will alter Ripon forever.

Planning approval was passed by a whisker last year. Since then, the government agencies behind the scheme have said little so this week’s planning update contained some key insights.

There are now just five days until North Yorkshire elects its first mayor. Confused? Read senior reporter Calvin Robinson’s article about the main manifesto differences and look for a recap this weekend of his interviews with all six candidates. We will provide live coverage at the count in Harrogate on Friday.

There are 241 days to Christmas, but Harrogate received one of the best possible festive presents this week with the news that Tim Stedman will return to the town for his 24th panto season. Tim is so loved he would have probably been elected mayor if he’d stood — or at least livened up the sometimes tedious hustings.

Contrary to appearance, Tim is well into his 50s and the slapstick tomfoolery of a lengthy panto, often twice a day, must be exhausting. We should treasure him while we can.

Sadly his long-term double act partner Howard Chadwick won’t be back for what is always a seasonal joy, whatever your age.

Pateley Bridge Cemetery. Picture: Bill Boaden.

Pateley Bridge Cemetery. Picture: Bill Boaden.

Finally, there can be few better places to rest for eternity than Pateley Bridge Cemetery. Look at that view. So plans to create hundreds of new plots this week will be welcomed by Nidderdale folk. The plans even cater for new natural burial sites.

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Local history spotlight: Naomi Jacob

(Lead image: Pixabay and Ripon Civic Society)

North Yorkshire boasts numerous connections to the literary world across the centuries; the Brontë family immortalised Haworth and the dramatic scenery of the moors, Whitby Abbey famously inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and both the television show and book series All Creatures Great and Small captured life in the Dales.

Someone who has not retained the same level of recognition – yet undoubtedly played a significant role in arts and culture at the time – is Naomi Jacob.

A prolific writer, actor, broadcaster, and political figure, she published around 50 books in her lifetime, and was known as a larger-than-life character in the circles she moved in.

Labelled ‘eccentric’ at the time, Jacob rarely used her given name, instead opting for her surname, Jake, or Mickie to introduce herself. She also preferred to wear what would have been deemed masculine attire, commenting: ‘I just find that men’s clothes are more practical and more economical’.

It was also a well-known secret that she had female partners throughout her lifetime, although this was never addressed either by her personally, or through her literary work.

Viewed through a modern lens, Jacob would have been considered part of the LGBTQIA+ community. However, because she didn’t speak about her experience, or have access to the updated language and knowledge surrounding gender identity and use of pronouns we have today, we cannot presume to know how she would have chosen to define herself.

For this reason, in the article she’ll be referred to by her surname, with she/her pronouns.

Early life

Jacob was born on July 1, 1884, in Ripon, the first daughter to Samuel Jacob and Selina Sara Ellington Collinson.

Ripon (Image: Pixabay)

Her family were fairly prominent in the town; her father was the headmaster of Ripon Grammar School, where her mother also taught, and her grandfather and great-grandfather were the mayor and chief police officer of Ripon respectively.

While her mother’s lineage had roots firmly in Yorkshire, Jacob’s father was the son of a Jewish refugee from the area formerly known as Prussia. Jacob’s paternal grandfather, whom she was very fond of, still spoke Yiddish and was a great influence in Jacob exploring her dual heritage.

Her upbringing was comfortable but her parents’ marriage was an unhappy one; when they eventually separated, Jacob moved to Middlesborough at the age of 14 to complete her education, following in her family’s footsteps to become a teacher.

While in the North East, Jacob contracted tuberculosis, and would suffer with it to varying degrees throughout the rest of her life.

A diverse and lengthy career

It also appeared that teaching wasn’t the right fit for Jacob either; the lure of the glittering lights and creative freedom that the theatre offered was tempting, and by 18 she was frequenting music halls in Leeds.

Jacob soon successfully introduced herself to some of the time period’s notable theatre alumni, including Henry Irving, Sarah Bernhardt, and Marie Lloyd. She also made a name for herself as a character actor, performing at the West End and in several touring productions.

The childhood home of the Jacob family (Image: Ripon Civic Society)

It wasn’t until the mid-1920s that her lengthy career as a writer really began in earnest. Her first novel Jacob Usher was first published in 1925 and was a prolific author during the rest of her life, able to complete two books a year at the height of her productivity.

Jacob had a deep love for Yorkshire, and this passion, and her astute observations on the region’s idiosyncrasies, were often a key feature of her novels. While she produced a vast quantity of work, sometimes under the pen name Ellington Gray, the ones she was best known for – and garnered critical acclaim – were her series about the Gollantz family, and her 1935 novel Honour Come Back.

The latter was recognised with an Eichelberger International Humane Award but Jacob refused to accept it when she discovered Adolf Hitler had also been recognised with the prize for Mein Kampf.

She penned an impassioned letter to The Sydney Morning Herald in 1936, which explained her reasons why. In an address to the editor, she explained:

“With a sense of great disappointment, I was obliged again to write to the committee, and respectfully refuse to accept the award… because of the terrible persecution, the monstrous injustices and the abominable cruelties which are even now being laid upon the Jewish race in Germany.

“To have accepted it would have been to almost betray those people to whose race I partly belong, and who have been my good and loyal friends all my life.

“I have talked with refugees, listened to stories of oppression and wickedness, which have roused me to indignation and fury, and as a result of what I know it was impossible for me to accept this award under the circumstances under which it was given.”

While Jacob relocated to Lake Garda, Italy, in 1930 in order to alleviate some of the symptoms of her tuberculosis, she moved back to the UK during the Second World War to help with the war effort.

(L) the plaque in Sirmione (R) Sirmione (Image: Ripon Civic Society and Pixabay)

This included tapping into her acting credentials as part of the Entertainments National Service Association, to entertain the troops and keep morale high. She became well-known for wearing a Women’s Legion uniform, monocle, and sporting a cropped hairstyle.

Later in life she was a contributor to the Radio 4 programme Woman’s Hour, as well as a writing articles and opinion pieces for local and national newspapers.

Political activism

Politics was a major part of Jacob’s life, and alongside her impressive output of work she managed to be an active participant on the political stage.

A fierce proponent for women receiving the vote, she was part of the suffragette movement before World War One and joined the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in 1912.

According to an article published in The New York Times in 1964, she once recalled that she was frequently ‘flung down steps and into horse ponds’ when out campaigning. She once stood, unsuccessfully, as a Labour PPC (Prospective Parliamentary Candidate) in East Ham, London, and was a devoted Labour party member for over 35 years.

However, she actually switched sides and joined the Conservative party after 1947, citing her disappointment in what she perceived to be Labour’s more radical brand of socialism.

Later life and legacy

Jacob moved back to Italy, and to the town of Sirmione where her villa was, after the Second World War. Also known as Casa Mickie, after one of her chosen names, she enjoyed hosting friends and family there – but she regularly returned to visit England, and Yorkshire in particular.

Although she had been married to a man for a brief time – so brief in fact, that they divorced within two weeks – she had several long-term partners that she lived with in open but unspoken relationships, including the actor and singer Marguerite Broadfoote.

After she passed away in 1964 age 80, a plaque was installed in Sirmione in her honour. Jacob’s vast amount of work fell out of the general public consciousness after her death, but in recent years there has been renewed efforts to preserve her legacy.

Later generations of the Jacob family at the plaque’s unveiling (Image: Ripon Civic Society)

In 2019, the Ripon Civic Society recognised Jacob’s impact on not only the town but wider society, with a green plaque outside her childhood home at 20 High St Agnesgate.

Inaugurating the plaque, Christopher Hughes, Chairman of Ripon Civic Society, welcomed Jacob’s two generations of her family, Tony Atcheson and Thomas Atcheson, to the event.

He commented:

“We are delighted to be able to mark the life and work of one of Ripon’s brightest literary stars with this plaque.  We hope it may stimulate interest in Naomi Jacob’s life and work, and inspire others to follow her example.”

Tony Atcheson, who lived in Sirmione with Naomi Jacob and his mother as a young child, added:

“Mickie had a great affection for Ripon throughout her life and this shaped her achievements. Very much ahead of her time, she was a strong character who forged her own success with little support in an era when women were not afforded the same opportunities.”

Sources for this article include an article in The New York Times, an article by Jocelynne Scutt for the Women’s History Network website, the Ripon Civic Society website, a biography on LibraryThing.com, Naomi Jacob’s original 1936 letter to The Sydney Morning Herald from the National Library of Australia archive and Orlando – a University of Cambridge online anthology.

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New details of Ripon’s 1,300-home Clotherholme scheme released

Work on the 1,300-home Clotherholme scheme in Ripon is expected to begin next year and last until 2037, according to a newly published update.

Land at Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks will be bulldozed to make way for the homes, a primary school and a neighbourhood centre with shops, a café and a community space.

Four city-centre junctions will be improved and Clotherholme Road, Kirkby Road, College Road and Trinity Lane will be redesigned to prioritise pedestrian safety and encourage cycling.

Homes England, the public body that funds new affordable housing, and the Defence infrastructure Organisation, which is part of the Ministry of Defence, provided the update in a planning report published on North Yorkshire Council’s website.

Councillors granted planning permission subject to conditions in February last year, shortly before Harrogate Borough Council was abolished. Six councillors voted in favour and six voted against, which meant the committee chair’s casting vote in favour proved decisive.

The new planning report says the barracks scheme will create an “exemplar new sustainable community” on brownfield land on the edge of Ripon. Here are some of the key details.

The red section indicates where will be affected.

30% affordable homes and new school

Clotherholme will include 1,300 homes, 30% of which will be classed as affordable. The report said:

“That’s 370 new affordable homes for local people, split between affordable rent and shared ownership

“We’ll also build a new primary school next to a new local neighbourhood centre with shops, a café, employment and training facilities and community space. We’ll provide new improved open space at Laver Banks which will be accessible to the whole community.”

A total of 5% of the site will be dedicated to custom build homes providing up to 60 extra care / assisted living homes.

Developers are obliged to pay to mitigate for the impact of their development on local infrastructure through legally binding contracts negotiated with councils known as section 106 agreements.

The new planning report says the proposals for financial contributions include:

The report adds:

“We’ll provide traffic-free routes to school across the whole development, which connect into existing walking and cycling routes, and we’ll make sure the school has playing fields too.

“The school will be built and opened early in the development timeline, meaning that families moving to Clotherholme will have school places for their children, and other local schools won’t be put under pressure.”

Major transport schemes in Ripon

The report says there will be “24 separate improvements to the road network agreed with North Yorkshire Council to make sure that Ripon keeps moving”.

They include improvements to four city-centre junctions “before the first home is occupied at Clotherholme”.

The four junction improvements are:

The report adds:

“We will install state-of-the-art signal control as part of these upgrades which allow real-time monitoring of traffic build-up and management of the signals to reduce congestion and maximise traffic flow.

“Our proposals also include the provision of a one-way scheme at Kirkby Road (westbound), College Road (eastbound) and Trinity Lane (southbound). Blossomgate, east of Marshall Way, will also become one-way.”

The report says there will be £793,000 towards delivering a phased bus service for Clotherholme over a four-year period, adding:

“We will redesign Clotherholme Road, Kirkby Road, College Road and Trinity Lane to prioritise pedestrian safety and encourage cycling, and we will introduce traffic-calming measures to reduce vehicle speeds. Our package of transport and active travel proposals have already been agreed in principle with North Yorkshire Council.”

12-year timeline

The report says the Ministry of Defence “has confirmed that they are in the process of agreeing a transfer of the land at Ripon barracks to Homes England”, adding:

“Following transfer, the land will be redeveloped by Homes England and partners in phases commencing with Deverell Barracks and moving to Claro and Laver Banks once the army has fully vacated to ensure the growth of a sustainable community.

Indicative phasing plan Indicative phasing Phase 1 2025 – 2029 Phase 2 2028 – 2033 Phase 3 2027 Phase 3 2027 Phase 4 2027 – 2028 Phase 5 2027 and 2029 Phase 6 2028 – 2033 Phase 7 2030 – 2032 Phase 8 2031 – 2037 Phase 9 2029 – 2033 The phasing plan on page 15 shows the order in which we’re intending to develop parcels of land at Ripon Barracks.

A developer partner will be appointed in 2025 and between 50 and 100 homes per year will be built meaning that the full redevelopment will take around 13 to 14 years to complete.

“There will be a series of key milestones throughout redevelopment including the opening up of Laver Banks for public use in 2027, phased provision of the local centre between 2028 and 2033 as well as the new primary school which is due to open in 2028.”

Green space

The report says nearly 50% of Clotherholme will be public green space, which is the equivalent to about 55 football pitches. Of this 39.6 hectares, nearly 7.5 hectares will be playing fields.

The report says Homes England and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation are writing a biodiversity net gain delivery plan “which sets out our approach to habitat preservation and creation of on-site and off-site biodiversity to achieve a target of 10% net gain”.

It adds:

“We will be providing playing fields at the new primary school which could be available for community use too. We’ll separately provide 11 sports pitches as part of Laver Banks improved open space (including a senior and junior football pitch and club house), and are looking to collaborate with local clubs to make sure we’re providing what is needed.

“We will also be paying towards the upkeep of these facilities — all part of the site-wide stewardship strategy we’re producing. We will also provide financial contributions towards the off-site provision of rugby, cricket, hockey and 3G sports pitches, for the benefit of sport in Ripon.”

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Ripon primary school named as one of the most diverse in North Yorkshire

Moorside Primary School and Nursery in Ripon has been named as one of the most culturally diverse schools in North Yorkshire and has been recognised for its inclusivity.

The school has pupils from 17 different nationalities and has become the first in the county to be awarded the Inclusion Quality Mark (IQM) Flagship status.

Almost 10 different languages are spoken by children at the school and almost 20% of the school, 33 pupils, do not speak English as their first language.

It has 190 pupils of various religious beliefs and there are children whose families originate from countries such as Nigeria, Syria, Afghanistan, Poland, Pakistan, Romania, China and Latvia.

The Inclusion Quality Mark was established in the UK in October 2004 with the objective of supporting both state and independent schools to become inclusive.

Claire Rowett, headteacher at Moorside Primary and Nursery, said:

 “There have been increasing opportunities through our IQM work to raise pupil voice and provide them with a platform to share projects, as well as share their learning opportunities, knowledge across the curriculum, personal development opportunities and also how they keep safe, mentally and physically healthy.

“We support and celebrate diversity within our school community.”

Ms Rowett added:

“Some of the work has also led us to achieve gold in the North Yorkshire Council’s Healthy School Awards for our efforts to improve the health, wellbeing and resilience in our school community. I am, as ever, extremely proud of everything that we have achieved at Moorside. The success that we have had has been through the tenacious hard work of all staff and governors, working with our children and their families, which we value greatly.

Above all, we are proud of our pupils and their confidence in sharing the work the we do together – they are the best ambassadors for our school”

Children in class with teacher Georgia Padbury-Hunt.

North Yorkshire Council’s assistant director for education and skills, Amanda Newbold, said:

“The IQM award recognises the commitment by schools to provide the best education for all children irrespective of differences. This recognition truly reflects the wonderful work of staff, governors and, of course, the pupils at Moorside Primary School and Nursery to successfully remove barriers to learning and maximise educational experiences. Congratulations to all involved.”

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5 things to do in Harrogate and the district this weekend