sewage Archives - Page 2 of 4

Editor’s Pick of the Week: Naked in Ripon, live sewage and Labour joy

It was, by far, our most commented-on story of the week. An event that drew gasps.

Not the mayoral election, of course, but news that a naked walk is returning to the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park this summer.

British Naturism, which is organising the event, helpfully sent us PG-rated, buttock-only photos of naturists along with the request that ‘they must be used exactly as they are. No censorship — blurring, pixellation or covering with clip-art for example’.

Pic: British Naturism

The most shocking angle for me was not the nudity but the prospect of freezing to death between Ripon and Masham.

The Conservatives were stripped of their political ambitions this week when Labour’s David Skaith swept to victory in the North Yorkshire mayoral election.

Two hours later, Mr Skaith popped up on TV alongside Labour leader Keir Starmer on the pitch at Northallerton Football Club.

It was a great day for Labour and a crushing first ever electoral defeat for Tory Keane Duncan, who instead of sloping out a side door as many politicians do took it on the chin and answered every question posed by a long line of journalists.

The bathing season gets underway this month and those making a beeline for Knaresborough Lido on the River Nidd will be delighted to know they can now check almost real time data on sewage being pumped into rivers by Yorkshire Water. Perhaps naked walks are safer…

Local river bathers to get live data on sewage

Outdoor bathers at places such as Knaresborough Lido will be able to get almost real time data this summer on sewage being pumped into rivers.

There has been widespread concern about the state of local rivers, especially the Nidd and Ure.

Yorkshire Water announced yesterday it had launched an interactive map that will provide current information on the operation of storm overflows.

Water companies use storm overflows to release extra rainwater and wastewater into rivers when the sewerage system is at risk of being overwhelmed.

This usually happens during heavy rainfall but there has been concern about the overflows operating at other times and pumping more sewage into waterways.

River Nidd

The interactive map has been launched ahead of the 2024 bathing water season, which runs from May 14 to September 30.

It shows the live status of each of Yorkshire Water’s storm overflows, when they last discharged into a watercourse and for how long. The information refreshes at 15-minute intervals,

Yorkshire has 2,180 storm overflows and Ben Roche, director of wastewater at Yorkshire Water, said the map would increase transparency for customers:

Mr Roche said:

“All the data will be available to anyone accessing the map. We have decided to launch now, ahead of the bathing water season to ensure customers are better informed about our operations in their area.

“We know replumbing the whole of Yorkshire is not a quick fix as it would be both significantly disruptive and costly to customers. The map shows just how big an engineering challenge this is from the vast numbers of overflows we have.”

He added Yorkshire Water was “investing £180m by the end of April 2025 to tackle 134 of the more frequently discharging overflows”.

The £180m investment is split into four areas, he added. They are: increasing storage at Yorkshire Water’s wastewater treatment works and within the sewage network; separating surface water from the combined sewer system; reducing groundwater infiltration into sewers; and changes to the operation of treatment works.

You can view the storm overflow map here.

Sewage spills in Nidd and Ure more than doubled in 2023

The Environment Agency has published its annual storm overflow spill data for 2023 – and the two main rivers in the Harrogate district saw significant increases.

The agency today released its event duration monitoring data, which shows the frequency and duration of sewage spills as a result of storm overflows in England.

It includes data from the nation’s 10 water and sewage companies, including Yorkshire Water.

Yorkshire Water recorded the second highest number of storm overflow spills. Its 77,761 figure was surpassed only by United Utilities, which released sewage on 97,537 occasions.

The Stray Ferret has been looking at the data for storm overflows that affect the River Nidd and the River Ure.

The Nidd flows through Pateley Bridge and Knaresborough and its tributaries, such as Crimple Beck and Oak Beck, run through Harrogate.

The Ure flows through Masham, Ripon and Boroughbridge.

Nidd and Ure data

The Nidd saw a total of 16,226 hours of sewage spills in 2023, which is a 120% increase from the year prior (7,380 hours).

The data also shows the total number of spills using the Environment Agency’s 12-to 24-hour count method, which records spills according to their duration.

Any discharge in the first 12-hour block is counted as one spill. Any discharge in the next 24-hour blocks are each counted as one additional spill.

This method is used to ensure very long, continuous spills over multiple days are not counted as one spill.

Using this method, the number of counted spills in the Nidd in 2023 was 1,561, compared with 1,010 in 2022 (a 55% increase).

The Ure saw a mammoth 11,612 hours of sewage spills in 2023 – a 166% increase from 2022’s 4,370 hours.

Using the 12-to-24-hour count method, the Environment Agency recorded a total of 1,238 spills in the Ure in 2023, compared to 880 in 2022.

Yorkshire Water ‘disappointed’ by figures

We contacted Yorkshire Water for comment on the number of spills.

A spokesperson for the firm said it was “disappointed about the number of discharges in 2023”.

They added:

“This increase is due to the wet weather experienced in the 12-month period, which included 11 named storms. The weather experienced in the region in 2023 included a very wet summer and prolonged heavy rainfall towards the end of the year resulting in groundwater infiltration into the sewer network.

“Overflows operate during prolonged or heavy rainfall and multiple storms in close succession can lead to increased discharges due to the storm capacity being used up.

“Our teams worked hard throughout 2023 to reduce discharges as part of our commitment to improve the operation of our network. As a result, our modelling indicates investment in our network and changes to our operations since 2021 equate to an improvement of 12,980 discharges when normalised against rainfall.”

The spokesperson added Yorkshire Water was “making headway” with a £180 million programme to reduce discharges across the region by April 2025.

They continued:

“Work is in progress on 62 projects, including some on the Nidd and Ure, that will reduce discharges from some of the most frequently operating overflows, with more to follow later in the year.”

National picture

The Environment Agency revealed a 54% increase in the total number of sewage spills in 2023 compared to the year prior, and said there were 14,318 storm overflows during the calendar year — up from 13,313 in 2022.

A total of 100% of storm overflow networks are now fitted with event duration monitors in line with the government target, the agency added, which enables it to collect data.

Helen Wakeham, director of water at the agency, said:

“Whilst it is disappointing that water companies have reported an increase in sewage spills in 2023, it is sadly not surprising. We are pleased to see record investment from the water sector, but we know it will take time for this to be reflected in spill data – it is a complex issue that won’t be solved overnight.

“No other country has the level of monitoring we do, with 100% of storm overflows in England now fitted with a monitor. We are better placed than ever before to hold water companies accountable.”

No 9: River Nidd pollution and politics take centre stage

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2023, we look at how the River Nidd rose up the political agenda this year.

National concerns about rivers were magnified locally in a year of intense focus on the River Nidd.

The state of the Nidd has become a major issue in recent years amid reports of bathers falling ill with sickness and diarrhoea and wider pollution concerns.

It led anglers, academics, conservationists and members of the public to set up Nidd Action Group to campaign for long-term improvements on the river, which is a tributary of the River Ouse that flows through Pateley Bridge, Birstwith and Knaresborough before meeting the Ouse at Nun Monkton..

The group bookended 2023 with two public meetings in Knaresborough. In between there was unprecedented activity that included water sampling and a campaign to achieve bathing water status.

The need to act was starkly highlighted in May when Professor Peter Hammond, a mathematician who analyses data on sewage discharges, published research showing the equivalent of 317 Olympic pools of raw sewage was discharged into the River Nidd at four sewage treatment works at Pateley Bridge, Harrogate, Darley and Kirk Hammerton in 2020.

The following month Knaresborough Lions, which organises the town’s joyfully insane annual bed race, issued a warning urging participants to “keep your head above water”.

Bed race competitors were told to keep their heads above water.

During summer, scores of volunteers monitored usage of the Nidd at Knaresborough Lido as part of the bathing water campaign led by Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Water quality has become a highly charged and politicised issue and not everyone welcomed Mr Jones’ campaign.

Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough, made rivers one of his main campaigning issues in 2023. He said local waterways were “being pumped full of raw disgusting sewage” under the Tories’ watch and accused water firms of awarding bosses “insulting pay-outs” after it was revealed Yorkshire Water paid £2.09 million to four executives in the year ending March 2023.

Mr Jones said he was taking a pragmatic approach to tackling an important local issue that is as much about farming and ancient sewers as government policies.

He even called for a parliamentary debate on the subject in January, when he told MPs:

“Rainwater run-off from farmland, which can include animal waste and pesticides, is a big factor affecting the quality of our waterways. It is a complex issue, and local farmers produce some of the highest quality food in our country, so can we have a debate to explore how the government can support farmers in mitigating this issue?”

Mr Jones’ bathing water campaign focused on Knaresborough, where leisure use of the Nidd is at its highest. There is an large wild swimming group, Lido bathers and boating on Waterside, as well as angling and riverside holiday homes.

If the bid, which the government is expected to adjudicate on in spring, is approved then agencies will be required to take measures to clean the Lido that should impact a much wider stretch of the river.

Andrew Jones (left) with the owner of Knaresborough Lido.

Besides the bathing water bid, action group volunteers organised two rounds of water sampling along the entire length of the Nidd in August and October to establish scientific data on water quality.

The results confirmed high levels of the faecal bacteria E.coli. in much of the river. Tributaries in the middle and lower Nidd catchment, including Ripley Beck, Oak Beck and Crimple Beck, had the highest concentrations of E.coli, with Bilton Beck the worst.

Nidd Action Group volunteers learning to take water samples.

Photo of volunteers from Nidd Action Group sampling water quality in Oak Beck.

Sampling at Bilton

The results were discussed at the action group’s December meeting, at which some of the early fervour to tackle pollution had given way to a more hard-headed and strategic long-term approach.

The presence of Yorkshire Water at the meeting may have surprised some, but many felt the company was an integral part of whatever plans are drawn up.

Professor Jonathan Gray of the Wild Trout Trust told the meeting the creation of channels that took the river off its natural flood plain “with hindsight was not a good idea” and spoke about the need to reverse this.

Nidd Action Group’s meeting in March.

David Clayden said there had been some initial “naivety” about what could be achieved and both he and James McKay, a Knaresborough resident and academic who has been at the forefront of analysing the water samples, agreed a lot has been achieved in 2023 — but it will take time for this to filter down to actual measures that improve water quality.

Megan Godden, the wild swimming representative on the action group, said people entering the Nidd should avoid swallowing water at all costs and consider avoiding it for a couple of days after heavy rainfall when e.coli levels are at their highest. But she was optimistic action could eventually make a difference.

Maddy Wright, a PHD student at Leeds University, said

“E.coli is the most problematic factor and exists in levels that could pose significant risks”, adding she hoped bathing water status would lead to data about the state of the river being published so “people can see and they will know the risks before they go bathing”.

The clean-up campaign was boosted in November when Yorkshire Water agreed to pay £1 million for polluting Hookstone Beck in Harrogate in 2016.

Half of the sum was awarded to the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust, which will use what is now known as the iNidd project to clean-up the River Nidd. The name is similar to the iWharfe campaign on the River Wharfe.

Charlotte Simons, a senior project manager at the trust, said:

“The sad thing is we have the money because something went wrong. But we have been given a lump sum that can lead to long-term improvements on the River Nidd.”

River quality is a murky business.

Glut of housebuilding in Harrogate worsening Nidd raw sewage problem

A massive increase in housebuilding across Harrogate and Knaresborough is worsening pollution in the River Nidd, according to the Environment Agency.

Jamie Duncan, who has worked on the Nidd for 20 years for the public body, gave a wide-ranging presentation about the health of the river to Harrogate and Knaresborough councillors earlier today.

Yorkshire Water is allowed to release sewage into the Nidd when the sewerage system is at risk of being overwhelmed through what are called storm overflows.

It has led to human waste being released over thousands of hours, and sampling by the Nidd Action Group has reported that the bacteria E. coli is at “concerningly high” levels.

Mr Duncan’s message to councillors was stark as he warned the problem could get worse without a recognition of the impact that development is having, and improvements to the town’s creaking Victorian sewerage system.

He said the Environment Agency was trying to tackle historic pollution problems, such as peat bog erosion and metal mining, which wash into the river at Nidderdale and travel downstream.

But he said its attempts are being made more difficult due to the thousands of new homes that have been built in the outskirts of Harrogate over the last decade — and thousands are more planned.

He said:

“If you are building housing estates on the urban fringe, on greenfield sites that historically have sewers just for servicing a pub and a few farms… and you’re putting hundreds of houses into these pipes then you only need a very small amount of rain [for waste] to spill into rivers.

“That’s untreated sewage. You’ve sieved out contraception and sanitary products, nothing more.”

During the 2010s the now defunct Harrogate Borough Council did not have a local plan for several years, which gave the authority little control over where developers chose to build.

Harrogate now has a local plan but Mr Duncan said North Yorkshire Council must give more consideration into what impact new housing is having on the sewerage system, which he said is struggling to cope.

He added that the situation is leading to more storm overflows and more sewage being pumped into the Nidd.

A working group of councillors was set up last year to tackle pollution in the river, following an incident last summer where several children ended up in hospital after swimming there.

A campaign is also underway to clean up the river so it can be designated with bathing water status. Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones submitted an application to government last month.

North Yorkshire Council is also in the early stages of developing a new county-wide local plan that will set out where housebuilding can take place over the next 15 years.

Paul Haslam, Conservative councillor for Bilton and Nidd Gorge, said he hoped the council can view the sewage network as a “critical part” of infrastructure, like roads.

In the meantime, Mr Duncan urged councillors to factor in the sewerage system when granting planning permission for new developments.

He said:

“If you’re going to grant it, please understand the knock-on effects. Houses might be new, but the sewage pipes might run a very long way through central Harrogate to a very old system that’s at capacity.”

Developer appeals decision to refuse 23 homes in Bishop Monkton

A developer has appealed a council decision to refuse plans for 23 homes in Bishop Monkton.

Kebbell Development Ltd tabled a plan to build the houses on Knaresborough Road in the village.

At a meeting of the Skipon and Ripon area constituency planning committee in August, councillors rejected the plan amid concern it would increase the amount of raw sewage released on streets.

The decision went against North Yorkshire Council officers’ recommendations to approve the scheme.

One councillor said having more properties in the village could exacerbate the “abomination” of raw sewage being released into the streets during heavy rainfall.

The committee had also called for Yorkshire Water to provide more detail on how the scheme would impact on foul water drainage in the village.

No representative from the company appeared at the meeting.

But the company said “most, if not all” of the “sewage escapes” in the village were caused by residents putting excessive toilet paper, fat, oil and grease down toilets and sinks which caused pipes to block.

The developer has now taken the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which deals with planning disputes.

In a statement of case submitted to the inspector, Kebbell Development Ltd argued that there was no planning reason for the scheme to be refused.

It said:

“It is clear that the appeal proposals fully comply with the requirements of relevant policies contained within the development plan and there are no material considerations that indicate planning permission should not be granted.”

The developer added:

“The council have acted unreasonably in refusing planning permission.”

A government planning inspector will make a decision on the plan at a later date.

River Nidd bathing water bid to be sent next month

An application for the River Nidd in Knaresborough to be designated bathing water status is to be submitted to the government next month.

If successful, the move would oblige organisations such as the Environment Agency to take action to clean the Nidd, amid concerns about high sewage levels and bathers falling ill at Knaresborough Lido.

Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones will submit the application after overseeing a survey of how many people use the Lido during the bathing water season from May 15 to September 30.

Mr Jones said the deadline for sending the application to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was the end of October. He added:

“Once submitted, there begins a long process in which Defra consult with many key stakeholders including Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency.

“Whilst we can’t be sure when the result will be known, applications that were submitted last year found out around March of this year.”

He said further surveys at the Lido were unlikely due to the colder weather, adding:

“The numbers we received from the surveys were excellent, and were nicely capped with that final burst of good weather a couple of weeks ago which saw hundreds of people swimming in the River Nidd at the Lido.”

The surveying was hampered a change in guidance in early July, but Mr Jones said “we have a committed team of volunteers which enabled us to adjust our plan quickly and fulfil the new criteria”.

Water sampling continues

Last month’s sampling in Bilton.

Nidd Action Group, which consists of anglers, academics, conservationists and volunteers has undertaken water sampling along the Nidd as part of the clean-up campaign.

The first round of sampling took place last month and a second round is required.

David Clayden, chairman of the group, said:

“We have identified four possible dates, but they are dependent on getting four days with no rain prior to the sampling day – so the first two, September 25 or 27, are no good.

“We are now aiming for either October 4 or 5 – again dependent on prior weather forecasts.”

Knaresborough Lib Dems send message to MP

Knaresborough Town Council gave its backing to the bathing water application this week — but the Liberal Democrat-controlled council added clauses urging the government to do more to protect rivers.

Cllr Kathryn Davies, a Conservative elected in Aspin and Calcutt who took part in the Lido survey, proposed a motion calling for the council to support the application.

It said the Nidd at the Lido was an important resource for the people of Knaresborough and improving water quality “would have significant benefits for the environment, public health, recreation and the local economy”.

But David Goode, a Liberal Democrat who represents Castle ward, said the motion “looked like a concerted effort by the Tory party to deflect attention” from allowing water companies to dump sewage in the river.

He proposed additional clauses, which included writing to Mr Jones requesting he “votes against any legislation that weakens planning and environmental policy” and “supports the call for water companies to be turned into public benefit companies with the aim of reducing leaks and sewage dumping, as well as limiting returns to shareholders”.

Raw sewage spilled into North Yorkshire streets 600 times in five years

Yorkshire Water has admitted that raw sewage has spilled into the streets in the Skipton and Ripon constituency area 600 times over the last five years.

The figure was revealed during a meeting in Skipton yesterday when the company’s head of corporate affairs, Tim Myatt, was grilled by councillors about what the company is doing to stop sewage and other waste being discharged into rivers and public places.

Mr Myatt, who was a senior Harrogate councillor for the Conservatives until earlier this year, said Yorkshire Water was investing an extra £180 million to reduce discharges by at least 20% before 2025.

This is on top of a £147 million investment to reduce discharge at its wastewater treatment works.

But councillors said the company had not spent enough since privatisation in 1989.

Last month, the council’s planning committee refused an application for 23 homes in Bishop Monkton following fears the housing would exacerbate raw sewage being released into village streets during heavy rainfall.

Nick Brown, the Conservative councillor for Wathvale and Bishop Monkton, asked Mr Myatt how many reported incidents of sewage being spilled into Skipton and Ripon’s streets there had been in the last five years. Mr Myatt told him it was 600.

However, this only includes details from the main postcodes in the constituency area so the actual number is likely to be higher.

A ‘monstrous’ figure

Cllr Brown described the figure as “monstrous” and said more investment was needed.

He said:

“Six hundred incidents of sewage in villages and towns is unbelievable. I find the lack of investment over a period of years is partially to blame for that. In future, the investment must be made sooner rather than later in curing these problems.”

Mr Myatt said Yorkshire Water has had teams in Bishop Monkton this week looking at the problem.

Conservative and Independent Group councillor for Ripon Minster and Moorside, Andrew Williams, said the company has been providing an “effluent service” for customers.

He added:

“We raised the issue of effluent in the street in Ripon and received a fob-off. It’s not good enough.”

Conservative councillor for Settle and Penyghent, David Staveley, said Yorkshire Water had “stone-walled and come up with bad excuses” when faced with criticism from customers over raw sewage and other issues.

Mr Myatt said Yorkshire Water wanted a “step change in transparency”, including more monitoring of their infrastructure to help understand how to reduce overflows. He said he was aware the public wants the company to “vastly improve performance”.

He said:

“We have invested since privatisation. It’s important to not think that pre-privatisation there was lots of investment and now there is none.

“There has been significant investment and improvements in certain areas.”

North Yorkshire Council is currently putting together a local plan that will map out where housing can be built across the county.

Mr Myatt indicated Yorkshire Water would like to become a statutory consultee on planning applications and that the new local plan will help it target investment into infrastructure.

He added:

“Knowing where growth is likely to be enables us to plan for investment and make the case for that in those areas.”

Yorkshire Water pays £235,000 for illegal Harrogate sewage discharge

Yorkshire Water has agreed to pay £235,000 to charity for illegally pumping sewage into Hookstone Beck in Harrogate.

The Environment Agency said today the company breached its environmental permit by discharging sewage from its Stray Road combined sewer overflow into the beck, which flows between Hookstone Road and Crimple Beck.

Following an Environment Agency investigation, Yorkshire Water volunteered to make amends for its offence.

It agreed to pay the sum to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, which will use the donation on environmental improvements in North Yorkshire including native crayfish conservation and reed bed management at Ripon City Wetlands.

The Environment Agency said the Stray Road combined sewer overflow, near Tewit Well, has an environmental permit which allows a discharge into the beck when the storm sewage facility is fully utilised due to rainfall or snow melt.

On 27 August 2015, it discharged illegally during dry weather and sewage fungus was evident on the bed of Hookstone Beck.

Yorkshire Water has now upgraded its telemetry to allow continuous monitoring of the storm overflow.

The company agreed to an enforcement undertaking, which is a voluntary offer made by companies and individuals to make amends for their offending, and usually includes a donation to a wildlife charity to carry out environmental

Claire Barrow, Environment Agency area environment manager, said:

“Sewage pollution can be devastating to human health, local biodiversity and out environment. Storm overflows must only be used under strict permitted conditions that control their environmental impact.

“We are holding the water industry to account like never before and while we will always take forward prosecutions in the most serious cases, enforcement undertakings are an effective enforcement tool to allow companies to put things right and contribute to environmental improvements.

“They allow polluters to correct and restore the harm caused to the environment and prevent repeat incidents by improving their procedures, helping ensure future compliance with environmental requirements.

A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said it had made “significant improvements in our operations since this incident in 2015″, adding:

“When things go wrong, we understand we have a responsibility to make it right.”

A Yorkshire Wildlife Trust statement said:

“Nature is in crisis and we firmly believe polluters causing damage to the environment must make amends, including through clean-up operations and fines.”

The MP aiming to win his fifth election in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Today marks 4,762 days since Andrew Jones was elected Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Mr Jones wrestled the seat off the Liberal Democrats with a slim 1,039 majority in May 2010.

Since then has successfully defended it three times, achieving more than 50% of the vote on each occasion and securing a 9,675 majority in 2019.

But this month’s local elections, in which the Conservatives lost more than 1,000 councillors, and Labour’s lead in the opinion polls suggest the next election could be closer.

In his first interview with the Stray Ferret, Mr Jones gives his thoughts on the looming general election, which is likely to happen next year, as well as key local issues including the Harrogate Station Gateway and devolution.

Mr Jones, who has been a transport and Treasury minister, says he had “no hesitation whatsoever” in putting forward his name for re-selection in the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency. He says:

“The opportunity to speak up for my home area at the highest possible level is absolutely fantastic.”

The constituency, and the previous Harrogate constituency that included Knaresborough, has been held by Conservatives continuously since 1950 except when the Liberal Democrat Phil Willis was MP from 1997 to 2010.

But Mr Jones insists he’s never regarded it as “anything other than a marginal”, adding no seat has been safe for a decade. He says:

“The election is about who offers the best future – will it be Rishi or Keir Starmer. The answer is Rishi. Who will be the best local champion? Me.”

Asked how many marks out of 10 he’d give so far for Rishi Sunak’s performance as Prime Minister, he says ’11’.

His Lib Dem opponent

Mr Jones, who turns 60 in November, will be up against Liberal Democrat Tom Gordon, who at 29 is half his age.

Both men were born in West Yorkshire but while Mr Jones has lived in Harrogate for almost 25 years, Mr Gordon has just moved in.

Mr Gordon portrays himself as a fresh and energetic alternative but Mr Jones says he has “plenty of fuel in the tank” and points out he had a career in business before becoming a Harrogate borough councillor in 2003, representing High Harrogate for two terms before becoming an MP.

By contrast, Mr Gordon, who has twice stood as a prospective parliamentary candidate as well as a councillor in Wakefield and Newcastle has “done an enormous amount of politics” for a 29-year-old, says Mr Jones, who adds:

“I had 25 years in business. I had done two terms as a local councillor in this area before being elected. I haven’t stood anywhere else.

“I have not sought to represent anything other than the seat I live in. I don’t think this is just a notch on someone’s political bedpost and I hope this constituency isn’t being used in this way.”

Supporting the Station Gateway

Few issues have divided Harrogate more in Mr Jones’ time as an MP than the £11.2 million Station Gateway, which looks set to go ahead after all five Conservative councillors and five of eight Liberal Democrat councillors on North Yorkshire Council’s area constituency committee supported it.

Mr Jones supports the scheme but has reservations, which include the positioning of taxi ranks, unloading outside shops and disabled parking spaces.

He says town centres are changing, with less retail and more hospitality and homes.

“They’ve got to be more attractive places to go to where the quality of life is very high. That’s the big picture in which the gateway ought to be considered.”

He insists the town centre is “vibrant” despite pro-gateway supporters presenting the scheme as a way to regenerate a run-down area blighted by shop closures.

He also accused Conswrvative-run North Yorkshire Council of not defending the scheme rigorously enough. He says:

“There have been all kinds of concerns and indeed some misinformation about it and, quite frankly, the council hasn’t done a great job at countering some of the misinformation.”

Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Andrew Jones in Harrogate

What misinformation? He mentions claims traffic will back-up to Ripley and that the scheme is a form of back-door Big Brother by increasing CCTV. He says:

“If I look at the scheme, as a whole, I think improvements to the street scene in the area are welcome. The focus on integrated public transport is also welcome. And the cycle paths are properly segregated, providing more safety for cyclists, which is probably a good thing too.”

Does he cycle?

“No. I live right in the town centre, I walk everywhere.”

He adds he “much prefers the train” to driving but this has been compromised by recent train strikes.

Many businesses oppose the gateway and a recent Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce survey generated three times more responses opposed to the scheme than in favour. Are they wrong?

“I’ve had comments from businesses that have been both for and against.”

Sewage and the River Nidd

With the owner of Knaresborough Lido

Mr Jones is leading a high profile campaign alongside the Nidd Action. Group to achieve designated bathing water status on the River Nidd at Knaresborough Lido, which would oblige agencies to clean-up the river.

The Lib Dems have criticised the government’s record on tackling the state of rivers. Mr Jones says:

“This is the first government in British history which has sought to improve and tackle the sewage overflows so I don’t think the political blame game improves water quality. Positive action does.”

Two hundred people have volunteered to help monitor Nidd usage at the Lido. Mr Jones says:

“This weekend sees the start of the bathing water season and also sees start of surveying at the Lido.”

How confident is he the campaign will achieve bathing water status and will it happen this year?

“I am always confident and always travel hopefully. It’s too early to say about timings. All I can say is this will have full energy from me.”

Harrogate town council concerns

North Yorkshire is undergoing its biggest political upheaval for half a century.

Harrogate Borough Council was abolished at the end of March and a mayor for York and North Yorkshire is likely to be elected next year.

Mr Jones supported devolution but preferred the east-west model that lost out. Was he sorry to see Conservative-controlled Harrogate Borough Council, whose council leader Richard Cooper is his office manager, disappear?

“I did have a bit of a pang when the council finished. I spent two terms as a councillor in Harrogate and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought we got a lot done.”

He says the big issue now is ensuring local voices are heard at Northallerton, where North Yorkshire Council is based.

He sounds far from convinced about a Harrogate town council, which looks set to be created next year, adding another layer of council tax.

Mr Jones again seems unimpressed by North Yorkshire Council’s approach, which has involved consulting on whether people support a town council without specifying what its powers will be. He says:

“Creating a public body and then worrying about what it will have responsibility for is the wrong way to approach the question.

“Those supporting it need to articulate a vision of what it will do, how much it will cost and why it should be supported and why it’s different to the area constituency committee.”

Won’t stand for mayor

Mr Jones flatly ruled himself out of the race to become mayor. “I am not putting my name forward,” he says.

Zoe Metcalfe, the Conservative North Yorkshire Police Fire and Crime Commissioner has put her name forward — will he support her?

“It’s early days so we’ll see. I don’t doubt there will be a lot of interest in the position.”

What about Richard Cooper, who he was worked alongside effectively since the 1990s? Mr Jones says Mr Cooper understands how the political systems and structures work and how to get things done, adding:

“If he wants to put his name forward he was a very effective leader at the council but I think he has already said he has retired from seeking elected office. I think he’s ruled himself out.”

1,000 items of correspondence a week

Mr Jones receives 1,000 items of correspondence each week.

Mr Jones, who employs six staff at his constituency office on East Parade in Harrogate, receives about 1,000 pieces of correspondence a week.

He travels to London late on Sunday or early Monday and returns for constituency work on Thursday evening.

Mr Jones, who opposed Brexit, is regarded as being more on the centre ground of the Conservatives than some. Does he agree with the strong language used by Home Secretary Suella Braverman on immigration? He says:

“Immigration is something that brings out very strong feelings but not in a good way. Some of the language used on all sides of this debate is regrettable.”

One of Mr Jones’ pre-local election newsletters didn’t mention he was a Conservative. Why?

“There was no plan behind that. I think everybody knows I am the Conservative MP.”

Cricket and classical music

Born in Ilkley, Mr Jones father worked in the textile industry in Bradford, and he attended the town’s grammar school.

A party loyalist, he is sometimes described as amiable but bland. Is this fair?

“People should just look at what we’ve actually got done. I think there is merit in civilised discussion and debate. Those who shout loudest aren’t always shouting wisely.

“I don’t think it’s bland in the slightest. I’ve been hugely enthusiastic about what I’ve been doing and managed to get enormous amounts done locally and also on a national basis.”

He cites improved rail services first when asked to name what he’s most proud of.

“If we just look at the rail services we had in our area when I became a MP. Now we have more services, later services, faster services, newer services, new rolling stock, London trains – direct services I’m talking about there – these refurbished stations. These are significant changes.

“We have electric buses in the area and more on the way.”

And his biggest regret or disappointment?

“Interesting question. If I look at our area I look around and I see high performing public services both in education and in health. What would be a disappointment? I’m not sure really.”

Away from politics, he has been a member of Yorkshire County Cricket Club since his Leeds University student days 40 years ago.

He hopes to attend a couple of days of the Ashes Headingley Test and “get to a couple of county matches as well”. He enjoys classical music and says Beethoven and Mahler are “high on the list” but describes himself as a musical “omnivore”.

He also likes reading and walking in the Yorkshire Dales. But with the election approaching, his spare time is likely to be in short supply.

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1,000 items of correspondence a week

Cricket and classical music