A housing developer has apologised after debris from its site near Harrogate entered a nearby waterway.
Polystyrene and plastic from the 72-home Yorkshire Housing site at Spofforth was floating in the River Crimple in the village over the weekend.
Yorkshire Housing was granted permission to build the homes at Massey Fold in October 2021 after a long-running campaign by some villagers against the development.
Litter strewn across the river and the nearby area. Pic: @spofforthmark
The organisation, which owns and manages about 20,000 homes, said in a statement:
“On Friday, some insulation blew open in the high winds and broke up. The contractor notified the Environment Agency straight away to let them know what had happened.
“Because of the stormy weather over the weekend it wasn’t safe to retrieve and clear-up the debris until this morning. We’re working quickly to do this.
“Windy weather isn’t an excuse and this shouldn’t have happened. We’ve discussed this with the contractor who will ensure any loose materials are secure to prevent this happening again.”
Signs on site say the development, known as Bridgewell, will consist of two, three and four-bedroom homes built in partnership with construction company the Jack Lunn Group and the non-departmental housing agency Homes England.
Villager Mark Lee raised concerns about the incident on social media.
Devastating pollution in Spofforth today, waste and debris from the new development by @JackLunnGroup @HomesEngland @yhousing @EdwardArch the river Crimple is actually blocked by your mismanagement and carelessness! @ClimateDesk @thestrayferret @Harrogate_News @UnderwaterMedia pic.twitter.com/IiszgX96hV
— mark lee (@spofforthmark) February 19, 2023
Conservationist Keith Wilkinson, who is chairman of Nidd Gorge Advisory Partnership and honorary secretary of Bilton Conservation Group, said the incident reinforced the need to look holistically at problems associated with Harrogate’s three rivers — the Nidd, Crimple and Oak Beck.
Mr Wilkinson said contamination from the Nidd tributaries inevitably impacted on the Nidd itself and therefore it would be better to adopt a more strategic view to managing water quality.
Harrogate train line blocked due to flooding in morning of travel misery
Rail operator Northern has said all train lines between Harrogate and Leeds are blocked due to flooding.
Persistent rain has fallen this morning across the district, where a hosepipe ban remains in place due to an ongoing drought.
The wet conditions have heightened the usual traffic problems on main routes in and out of Harrogate.
But commuters are worse hit, following Northern’s announcement shortly after 10.30am today.
https://twitter.com/northernassist/status/1595366257821421568
Northern said trains running through these stations will be cancelled or delayed by up to 30 minutes.
Motorists have also faced delays on the usual routes. Traffic in Spofforth has been particularly bad due to a vehicle hitting Spofforth Bridge on the A661.
The wall of the damaged bridge in Spofforth.
Four-way traffic lights at the Kirk Deighton junction have also contributed to delays.
The rain is forecast to end this afternoon.
Council set to use compulsory purchase order on two empty homes in Harrogate districtTwo houses which have been empty and in a state of disrepair could be brought back into use with compulsory purchase orders.
Harrogate Borough Council is considering the unusual move after extensive efforts to encourage the owners to improve the homes have failed.
A report due to be considered by the council’s committee tomorrow recommends beginning the CPO process for 16 Greenfields Drive in Harrogate and 4a Beech Lane in Spofforth.
It said:
“Compulsory purchase is usually a last resort, as the preference is to acquire by voluntary agreement wherever practicable. This is in accordance with the council’s empty homes strategy.
“It is considered, however, that the council has made every effort to secure the return to use of these properties and CPO is now the only realistic option. Although the offer of voluntary acquisition will remain open to the landowners throughout this process.”
Housing growth officer James Tuck said the “massive shortage of housing stock within the Harrogate district” justified the CPO for the two homes.
His report said there were 2,006 households on the council’s waiting list for rented housing, with a rented affordable housing shortfall of 208 homes and affordable sale housing of around half that number, according to the council’s housing and economic development needs assessment.
Regarding the Spofforth home, the report said:
“A letter was sent to the property in March 2019 as part of a complaint that it was empty. Initially it was very difficult to make contact with the owner despite numerous letters being sent.
“Once contact was made the owner agreed to resolve the external issues and plan to get the property occupied again. Despite occasional correspondence since, deadlines have frequently been missed and little progress has been made.
“The property was scored as part of the empty homes database and was observed at the time to be in a poor state of repair with overgrowth and looking generally rundown.
“Concerns have been raised by a local councillor and attempts have been made to establish a timeline with the owner but deadlines are regularly missed and the property remains empty.”
The home in Harrogate was brought to the housing department’s attention by the environmental health team, while the owner was being pursued for council tax payments.
The council’s empty homes officer began trying to make contact in July 2021 but received no response, the report said. It added:
“The property was scored as part of the empty homes database and was observed at the time to be in a very bad way with an overgrown garden, disused car in the drive, windows needing paintwork, a board covering the back garden, and in a very rundown state of repair.
“In August 2021 the cabinet member for housing and safer communities approved the empty homes officer to make an offer to purchase the property and a letter was sent to the owner requesting a meeting to arrange a formal, independent RICS valuation of the property.
“No response was received so a second letter was sent advising enforcement action would now be pursued.”
Any CPO would need to be approved by the government’s secretary of state for communities and local government.
Guide to bonfire and fireworks displays in the Harrogate district
This story is sponsored by Belmont Grosvenor School which will be holding a Bonfire Night Party on Friday, November 4. There will be s’mores round the campfire, music, hot food, a licensed bar, stalls and more. Gates open at 6pm, the bonfire will be lit at 6.30pm and the firework display starts at 7.20pm.
Tickets can be purchased at the gate and cost £10 for adults (children under the age of 18 are free). Get them in advance by emailing kaye.walker@bewonder.co.uk.
Bonfire night is fast approaching so we have put together a list of events coming up in the Harrogate district.
They all take place over the weekend of November 4, 5 and 6.
Let us know if we have missed your event and we will add it to the list. Email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk or call us on 01423 276197.
Belmont Grosvenor School Bonfire Party
Where: Belmont Grosvenor School, Swarcliffe Hall, Birstwith, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 2JG
When: 6pm start, 6.30pm fire lit, 7.20pm firework display
Tickets: £10 with children under the age of 18 entering for free
Ripon Rowels Rotary Charity Bonfire and Firework Display
Where: Ripon Racecourse, Boroughbridge Road, Ripon, HG4 1UG
When: 5.30pm start, 7pm fire lit, 7.30pm firework display
Tickets: adults £6, children £3, family (2 adult, 2 child) £12, under 3s free
Spofforth Village Firework Display
Where: Spofforth Cricket Ground, School Lane, Spofforth, HG3 1BA
When: Gates open 5pm, 7pm-7.15pm firework display.
Tickets: Family pre-paid £12:50 and on the gate £15. Adult pre-paid £4 and on the gate £5. Child pre-paid £2:50 and on the gate £3.
Swinton Bivouac Silent Bonfire Night
Where: Swinton Bivouac, Masham, Ilton, Ripon, HG4 4JZ
When: 6.30pm bonfire lit. There will be no fireworks or loud bangs.
Tickets: free entry, food and drinks available from the Bivouac Café
Aspin Park Academy Fireworks Night, Knaresborough
Where: School grounds
When: 5.15pm start, 6.30pm firework display
Tickets: Advance online booking – adults £4, children £3, family ticket £12, preschoolers free. On the gate – adults £5, children £4
Harrogate Stray Bonfire and Fireworks, Harrogate Round Table
Where: Oatlands Stray, Harrogate, HG1 1BJ
When: 5pm start (there will be entertainment), bonfire lit 5.30pm, 7.15pm firework display
Tickets: free entry, donations welcome
Upper Nidderdale Scouts Group Pateley Bonfire
Where: Pateley Bridge Showground
When: 6pm start, 6.30pm torchlit procession and bonfire lit, 7pm fireworks
Tickets: free entry, donations welcome
Kirkby Malzeard community village bonfire
Where: North Close Farm, Ripon Road, Kirkby Malzeard
When: 6pm start, 6.30pm bonfire lit, 7pm fireworks
Tickets: Free entry but donations welcome to fund next year’s event. Parking is available at North Close Farm. No sparklers allowed. Bring a torch.
Yolk Farm Bonfire and Burger Night – dog-friendly
Where: Yolk Farm, Minskip Road, Minskip, York, YO51 9HY
When: 5.30pm start, 6.30pm bonfire lit, no fireworks
Tickets: free entry for the event, advanced bookings only for Burger Night in the restaurant – 5:30pm and 8pm sittings
Staveley Arms Bonfire
Where: The Staveley Arms, Greenfields, North Stainley, Ripon, HG4 3HT
When: 6pm
Tickets: £5 per person to include a choice of hot dog or cup of soup
Spofforth Church of England Primary School has been rated ‘good’ in its first full Ofsted inspection for a decade.
Inspectors visited the school on July 20, at the end of the summer term, and said pupils were “confident and articulate” and “proud to attend this happy and welcoming school”. They said:
“Pupils are proud to attend this happy and welcoming school, where everyone knows each other by name. Christian values are at the heart of school life and reflected in the stated ambition to ‘love, learn, thrive’.
“Pupils are confident and articulate. They enjoy leading collective worship and performing in school productions.”
Senior leaders, they added, had “high expectations of what pupils can achieve”.
Children flourish in early years and have strong personal development, read a range of interesting books and follow a clear mathematics curriculum.
But the inspectors said “the curriculum is not as well developed” in some subject areas other than reading and mathematics and also noted:
“Some pupils behave inappropriately and are sometimes disrespectful to other pupils and members of staff. However, pupils have a good understanding of what bullying is and are adamant this does not happen.”
The 101-pupil school, which is part of the Follifoot and Spofforth Church of England Federation of Primary Schools, received a ‘good’ rating at its last full inspection in 2012. A short inspection in 2017 came to the same conclusion.
David Harrington, chair of governors, said:
“Everyone at Spofforth CE Primary and across our federation is very pleased with the outcome of our most recent inspection.
“We are delighted that the inspector recognised the strong sense of community where everyone knows each other by name.
“We are particularly proud of the strength in our federation EYFS class where children from both schools access such high quality education.
“I would like to thank the children, parents, governors and staff for their hard work and support which is reflected in this report.
“As a school and federation we are ready to focus on the agreed areas for development in the report in order to ensure that all our children have the best possible education and love, learn and thrive across the federation.”
Missing man from Harrogate district found safe
A missing man from the Harrogate district has been found safe.
North Yorkshire Police issued an appeal this afternoon for information to find the man, who was last seen leaving his home on Tuesday this week.
But the force reported tonight that the man had been traced.
We have therefore updated this article and removed the man’s name and photo.
Some good news!
The 40 year old man from the Harrogate area has been found safe and well.
Thank you for your support with the appeal. pic.twitter.com/7YlsbsISE7
— North Yorkshire Police (@NYorksPolice) September 28, 2022
Burnt Yates beat Knaresborough in cricket’s Addison Cup final
Burnt Yates beat Knaresborough to win the centenary Addison Cup final last night.
The Addison Cup, which is contested by the top 16 teams in the Harrogate and District Amateur Evening Cricket League, is one of the oldest cricket competitions in the world, dating back to 1922.
Last night’s final saw Knaresborough post a competitive 143 for 6 in 20 overs at Follifoot Cricket Club. Tashmial Henry struck 64 and Toby Giddings hit 35.
But a skilful and composed unbeaten 67 in gloomy conditions from South African man of the match Byron Boshoff helped Burnt Yates to a six-wicket victory with seven balls to spare.
It’s the first time the village side, which was captained by Ryan Lamb, has won the district’s premier 20-over competition. They beat defending champions Harrogate in the quarter-final.
As usual, a member of the Addison family presented the winner’s medals.
Eric Wainwright, whose father played for The Gas Company, a Harrogate team that won the 1933 final, presented the runner’s-up medals.
Last night also saw the final of the Atkinson Cup, which is contested by the teams that lose in the first round of the Addison Cup.
The final was postponed when heat stopped play two weeks ago when temperatures approached 40 degrees centigrade. It was then delayed again last week because of rain.
Yesterday at Spofforth, Pateley Bridge scored 134 and then bowled out North Stainley for 101 to win by 33 runs.
Tom Hardcastle, of Pateley, was adjudged man of the match.
Winning captain Ryan Lamb receives the Addison Cup.
Byron Boshoff is presented with the man of the match award.
Four teens arrested after burglary in Spofforth
Police have arrested four teenagers after a burglary in Spofforth.
Officers were called to the village after reports of a break-in at a house in the early hours of this morning.
Three 16-year-olds were arrested on suspicion of burglary and a 15-year-old was arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary.
A North Yorkshire Police statement this afternoon confirmed that all four remain in custody and an investigation is ongoing.
Spofforth after-school club praised by Ofsted
Ofsted has given Spofforth Childcare a glowing report following an inspection.
The education inspectors visited the club, which operates at Spofforth Church of England Primary School on School Lane, in June.
The setting provides before and after-school care for 47 children in term times and during the summer holidays.
Ofsted found that children who attended the setting “behave well and show respect for others” and staff “set clear expectations for children’s behaviour and are good role models”.
It added:
“They offer children plenty of praise and encouragement. This supports children’s confidence and self-esteem.”
“Children thoroughly enjoy their time in this before- and after-school club. They are happy and settled.”
Inspectors also found that the club had effective safeguarding measures in place and have a good understanding of how to identify possible signs of abuse.
They also said the management team is keen to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs or disabilities, have their individual needs met.
Responding to the report, Sharon Hoskin, owner, said:
“When Ofsted visit you know every area of your practice will be scrutinised and the inspection was fairly rigorous, but it was fair. We’re delighted with the final outcome because we realise all our hard work and effort is worth it. This isn’t only a positive for staff morale, it’s for the parents and children too.”
After-school and holiday clubs can now only receive a ‘met’ or ‘not met’ rating from Ofsted.
Ms Hoskin added:
Spofforth housing developer requests £23,000 in council appeal costs“We would prefer the old way of doing it because if you do one thing considered ‘not met’ then the whole thing is graded ‘not met’.
“Not just for us, but for other settings, we always strive to try and get an ‘outstanding’ but we can’t do that now. It doesn’t alter our practice, but it would be nice to be able to achieve that. Quite a few settings who have had ‘outstanding’ can’t get that now.”
A developer has asked Harrogate Borough Council to pay £23,000 in costs after it won a planning appeal against the authority.
Yorkshire Housing Ltd took the council to the government’s Planning Inspectorate after it refused a proposal for 72 homes on Massey Fold in Spofforth.
The developer already had outline permission to build on the site, but councillors turned down an application that finalised the appearance and landscaping details in November 2020.
At the time, councillors said the plan would have a “detrimental urbanising impact upon the character and setting of Spofforth”.
A planning inspector sided in favour with Yorkshire Housing and gave the go-ahead for the scheme in October 2021.
Now the council has confirmed that the developer has submitted a request for costs totalling £23,278 for the appeal.
Call for government to reject controversial Spofforth homes plan
The developer sought costs from the council after it said the authority had “unreasonably delayed” the housing development.
Council officials asked the inspector dismiss the request. But the government awarded costs against the authority.
The decision to approve the scheme followed concerns from local residents over the design and that the housing would not be in keeping with the village.
More than 300 local people and organisations, including Natural England and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, raised concerns about the development.
Shirley Fawcett, chairman of Spofforth with Stockeld Parish Council, wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson appealing for help in challenging the development.
However, Siobhan Watson, the government planning inspector, said she found the council’s reasons for refusal “vague and illogical”.
She said:
“Given the site’s planning history, I find the council’s refusal of the application and subsequent defence of the case to be both vague and illogical.
“I consider that the development should have been clearly permitted and that the council produced vague and generalised assertions about the proposal’s impact which are unsupported by objective analysis.”