Heavy rain causes Starbeck church ceiling to collapseThe ceiling of a Starbeck church has collapsed after a severe rainstorm this week.
David Leonard, a treasurer at St Andrew’s Church, contacted the Stray Ferret on Wednesday after part of the ceiling of its Welcome Centre caved in on Monday evening (May 6).
Mr Leonard said the volume of rain was “too much” for the rooftop drains, which led to the damage.
The church also took to social media to say the Welcome Centre is “out of action” following a “severe ingress of water”.
Mr Leonard said the church has insurance, but would also apply to various charities for financial help to fix the ceiling.
He said:
“I don’t know exactly but I expect it’ll cost at least £5,000 to repair – if not more.
“I imagine the welcome centre will be out of action for around three months, but the repairs will take as long as they take.”
Mr Leonard did confirm, however, the church is still operating as usual and can be accessed via different doors.
It comes after an extreme rainstorm hit parts of Starbeck and Knaresborough on Monday.
Several Knaresborough roads were underwater, while homes were flooded and residents were forced to evacuate.
The damage raised questions about the ability of local drainage systems to cope, but North Yorkshire Council denied this was a factor.
Mr Leonard attributed the damage at St Andrew’s to “just a case of there being exceptional weather that day”.
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Memorial service for Starbeck pianist who ‘brought joy to the community’A memorial service is to be held in Starbeck for a pianist who often played for free in local schools and care homes.
Stuart Forster was a talented keyboard player who was also an organist at St Andrew’s Church. He died at his home in Starbeck on May 1, aged 76.
Born in York, he had a varied career in a wide range of professions.
Mr Forster was a talented keyboard player
Elena Leeming, a friend of Mr Forster, said:
“While it is sad news for the community here in Starbeck, there is a memorial service for those who knew him at St Andrew’s Church on May 18 at 11am.
“Stuart brought joy to the whole community by playing at the local school, church and care homes. He will be greatly missed.”
Ms Leeming added Mr Forster’s sister and son planned to travel for the service and everyone was welcome.
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Harrogate councillor apologises for ongoing Kirkby Malzeard road closureA senior Harrogate councillor has apologised for a two-year road closure in Kirkby Malzeard and indicated it could reopen in the new year.
The closure was put in place on Church Street due to a collapsed wall at St Andrew’s Church in the village following heavy rainfall in February 2020.
Since then, Harrogate Borough Council has committed to repair the damage — which is set to cost £491,670.
However, the collapse has left the road closed for two years to the inconvenience of local residents.
At a full council meeting this month, Cllr Nigel Simms, who represents Masham and Kirkby Malzeard on the borough council, asked when the road would reopen.
Reconstructed church wall at St Andrew’s in Kirkby Malzeard.
In response, Cllr Graham Swift, deputy leader of the authority, said the closure had been an “extremely long time” and apologised for the inconvenience.
He added that work was in progress on the repairs and indicated that the road could reopen in January.
Cllr Swift said:
“I apologise that people in the area have been extremely inconvenienced.
“But I think that those of you who have seen the extent of the damage and indeed, bluntly, the extent of some of the graves that were exposed to the public, will see it has been an incredibly complicated and detailed programme.
“Throughout the time of which was coronavirus and a considerable amount of that time prevented people getting to the site and doing the work that they needed to do.”
He added:
“My indications are that January is the working date.”
£500,000 repair bill
The final bill for the repair is set to cost the council nearly £500,000. Council officials said the cost reflected the “volatile nature of the construction market at the moment”.
The increased cost is set to be funded from the council’s investment reserves.
The repair works which have followed came after residents and parish councillors frustrated by more than two years of delays, urged the council to end the “farce” of the church wall.
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Christmas tree festivals 2022: guide to events taking place in the Harrogate districtChristmas is edging closer and there are plenty of festivities taking place over the next couple of weeks.
Among them are a growing number of churches hosting Christmas tree festivals around the Harrogate district.
If you fancy seeing some inspiring, creative decorations, check out our list below of some of the festivals taking place across the district.
Know of another that’s not on our list? Email the details to us now.
St James’s Church Boroughbridge
Boroughbridge launched the district’s festivals last weekend with some spectacular efforts.
Visitors cast their votes and overwhelmingly selected Kirby Hill WI’s jam jar tree as their favourite (pictures below). The Post Office was in second place and Spar came third.
In the children’s competition, Boroughbridge Scouts came out on top, followed by Roecliffe Primary School and Boroughbridge Junior School Early Years.
The festival concluded with a carol service on Sunday.
St John’s Church, Knaresborough
The St John’s Christmas Tree Festival returns for another year.
The Knaresborough Christmas tree festival takes place every year: 70 Christmas trees are decorated by local groups and are displayed in the St John’s Church in the heart of Knaresborough.
It started last weekend and is running up until the December 23.
As well as the Christmas tree competition there is live music and festive mulled wine refreshments.
There will be live music every Saturday of the festival:
- Saturday, December 10
- Saturday, December 17
Admission to the festival is free, but donations to the church and their chosen charity are welcomed.
The event takes place at Vicarage Lane, Knaresborough HG5 9AE.
St John’s Church, Bilton
The Christmas tree festival in Bilton got up and running last weekend and continues throughout the month.
It features 20 trees created by community groups, many themed by the teams behind them.
The church is open from 9am to 1pm, Monday to Thursday each week, for visitors to see the trees. They are also on show at services until the end of December.
Entry is free and everyone is welcome at the Bilton Lane church.
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St Andrew’s Church, Blubberhouses
Another Christmas tree festival with an amazing variety of trees, a creative and festive event for everyone.
The festival is open this weekend, Saturday, December 10 and Sunday, December 11, from 11am to 4pm.
On Sunday, The 4 – a musical quartet will be singing Christmas music and carols.
There will also be wreaths and Christmas crafts for sale.
Enjoy a festive atmosphere with mulled wine and refreshments.
Admission to this event is free and it is taking place at Shepherd Hill Road, Blubberhouses, Otley, LS21 2NU.
Boroughbridge Christmas Tree Festival
St Peter’s Church, Harrogate
St Peter’s Church Christmas Tree Festival returns for its 18th year.
The festival is running from December 10 to 17 and organisers hope to make this year “bigger and brighter than ever”.
The opening times are 8am to 5.15pm.
Charities, local schools, shops, and businesses have been invited to decorate a Christmas tree or wreath, decorations can either be Christmas themed or reflect their organisation.
This gives the decorators an opportunity to tell the community about their activities and achievements and brings the whole community together for some festive fun at the end of the year.
Attendees will vote for their favourite Christmas tree, and the winner will be announced at their 9.30am service on December 18.
The trees each have their own frame with details of who the tree is sponsored by and the name or theme of the tree.
It takes place at St Peter’s Church, Cambridge Road, Harrogate HG1 1PB.
End in sight for Kirkby Malzeard’s long-awaited wall repairMore than 32 months after part of St Andrew’s Church wall in Kirkby Malzeard collapsed, repair and reconstruction works costing almost £500,000 are ongoing.
In addition to rebuilding and reinforcing the 10-metre section that fell onto Church Street following heavy overnight rain in February 2020, a further 30-metre length is being refurbished and reinforced.
The road, which runs past St Andrew’s and is part of a route from the village to Masham, has remained closed since the collapse.
Harrogate Borough Council initially earmarked £250,000 to fund the project, which was given planning approval in February this year.
However, the final bill will be almost double that amount at £491,670 after council officials said the cost reflected the “volatile nature of the construction market at the moment”.
The increased cost is set to be funded from the council’s investment reserves.
The collapsed section of wall, which is being rebuilt and reinforced.
A report to the council urgency committee in May said:
“The work was not able to be contracted until the planning process was concluded and permissions put in place.”
The repair works which have followed came after residents and parish councillors frustrated by more than two years of delays, urged the council to end the “farce” of the church wall.
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Harrogate district pays final respects to the QueenMany organisations across the Harrogate district closed today as people paid their final respects to Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Streets were quiet and there was a sombre mood as the nation watched the state funeral at Westminster Abbey in London.
Ripon Cathedral and Harrogate’s Royal Hall broadcast the event live on big screens, as did numerous pubs and churches.
Many other people watched the day’s events unfold live on BBC One.
Here are some photos taken during today’s funeral capturing local tributes and the unusually quiet state of the district.
Cambridge Street deserted during the funeral.
Ripon Cathedral today
Flowers to the Queen at Harrogate’s war memorial.
Floral tributes in Knaresborough Market Place.
St Andrew’s Church in Starbeck broadcast the funeral live.
Starbeck High Street devoid of traffic.
A shop front tribute in Harrogate town centre.
A new community business organisation is being launched in Kirkby Malzeard today with a high-profile speaker set to inspire its first meeting.
The Business Forward Forum will welcome David Kerfoot CBE, founder of North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Parnership, to talk about the value of local business.
The new organisation will be led by Kirkby Malzeard, Laverton and Dallowgill parish councillors Jane Aksut and Richard Hughes, and is designed to stimulate business growth and entrepreneurial spirit in the parish and surrounding area.
Cllr Hughes said:
“We are so much more than the sum of our parts, when we work together.
“The covid support hub here was outstanding, centred around a brilliant website and community co-ordination. This had already been demonstrated in our response to the international bike races and to communal events, recently culminating in the brilliant jubilee celebrations which blew us all away with a sense of pride at what we were seeing and achieving.
“We are a venue, a go-to place in which the growing population wants and deserves to work rest and play. Facilities, resources and opportunities for all are growing; we want to make sure that these exciting possibilities become reality for all of our brilliant community.”
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Monday’s event is being held at St Andrew’s Church in Kirkby Malzeard and will also hear from Simon Middleton of North Yorkshire Growth Hub and consultant Steve Bolton, leading on the post-covid welcome back project for Harrogate Borough Council.
Topics under discussion will include the grants available to businesses for different projects. The forum has already begun exploring organising an agricultural show, developing a funding element to the revamped parish gala, and creating a community arts hub.
Cllr Aksut added:
“Post-covid, post-Brexit, post HBC – this is the time to reclaim our community; to aim for the skies. There’s major funding and support opportunities out there and we aim to have our share of the pie.”
All local businesses are invited to take part in the forum. To find out more, visit the village website or email the business forum.
Wall repair costs to Harrogate council double to nearly £500,000Harrogate Borough Council is set to spend almost double what it planned to repair a collapsed wall in Kirkby Malzeard.
The council is due to appoint construction firm Keir to repair and rebuild the wall at St Andrew’s Church, which collapsed due to heavy rain in February 2020.
Officials at the authority had initially earmarked £250,000 to fund the project, which was given planning approval in February this year.
However, a report due before the council’s urgency committee next week says the project will now cost £491,670.
Council officials said the cost reflected the “volatile nature of the construction market at the moment”.
Jonathan Dunk, executive officer for strategic property and major projects, said in his report:
“The work was not able to be contracted until the planning process was concluded and permissions put in place.
“Any further delay now would create the additional risk of further wall collapse and would mean that the work could not take place over the coming summer months.”
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The increased cost is set to be funded from the council’s investment reserves. If approved, work on the wall is scheduled to start this month and end in September.
The move to repair the wall comes after residents and parish councillors urged the council to end the “farce” of the church wall earlier this year.
Cllr Peter Saxon, of Kirkby Malzeard, Laverton and Dallowgill Parish Council, told the borough council’s planning committee in February:
“Kirkby Malzeard as a community is no stranger to controversial planning decisions. This is not one of them.
“Speaking as the parish council, we presented a unanimous view, as with every resident I have spoken to, to ask you to please, please end this farce.”
‘End this farce’: Kirkby Malzeard wall to finally be rebuiltHarrogate Borough Council has approved plans to repair and rebuild a church wall in Kirkby Malzeard that has been blocking the highway for nearly two years.
Residents and parish councillors urged the council at a planning meeting yesterday to end the “farce” of the St Andrew’s Church wall, which collapsed in February 2020 due to heavy rain.
The council will now rebuild the retaining wall and carry out stabilisation work to its other sections.
Cllr Peter Saxon, of Kirkby Malzeard, Laverton and Dallowgill Parish Council, told the borough council’s planning committee yesterday:
“Kirkby Malzeard as a community is no stranger to controversial planning decisions. This is not one of them.
“Speaking as the parish council, we presented a unanimous view, as with every resident I have spoken to, to ask you to please, please end this farce.
“It’s been almost two years to the day since this wall collapsed.”
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Cllr Saxon added that the road on Church Street is often busy with children as it is next to the primary school and it was therefore fortunate that the wall collapsed at night.
He added:
“It is very easy to imagine what would have happened. That road is normally full of children walking home.”
Risk of further collapse
Jonathan Dunk, executive officer for property and major projects at the borough council, told the meeting that there was still concern that the remaining wall could collapse.
He said:
“Our view is that it would be sensible to repair the wall as set out in the application at the same time as rebuilding the section that has collapsed. It is sensible to do that.
“Our view is that there remains a risk that the part of the wall that remains standing now could collapse in the future.
“If that were to happen it would cause a risk to public safety and may cause further road closure.”
Mr Dunk added that the council would look to start the works on the wall in the Easter holidays.