The 50th Stray bonfire will take place on November 6 after Harrogate Borough Council gave organisers the green light.
The Stray Ferret revealed last month the event was set to go ahead. Now the news has been confirmed.
Harrogate District Round Table was forced to cancel last year’s display due to coronavirus restrictions but it is now preparing for the event to return at its usual spot alongside Oatlands Drive.
Round Table volunteers hope to raise £8,000 to pay for fireworks and additional costs, such as first aid and traffic management, and have set up a gofundme page.
Any extra money generated though the fundraiser, and on the night, will go to Friends of Harrogate Hospital.
A spokesperson for Harrogate District Round Table said:
“This will be the 50th year Harrogate Round Table has run the Stray charity bonfire and fireworks event and, with your help, we want to run an amazing event the whole community can enjoy.”
Harrogate councillor calls for new ‘no cycling’ signs on Stray
A Harrogate councillor has called for new ‘no cycling’ signs to be painted on footpaths on the Stray after local residents raised concerns.
Sam Gibbs, a Conservative who represents Harrogate Valley Gardens on Harrogate Borough Council, said calls from concerned residents had prompted him to act.
He told Harrogate and Knaresborough and Conservative MP Andrew Jones’ Community News website:
“Cyclists were using the footpaths and travelling at great speed.
“The Stray should be enjoyed by everyone but cycling should only be on the routes that are permitted.”
Cllr Gibbs said signs should be painted on footpaths around Byron Walk Mews, which backs onto the Montpellier stretch of the Stray.
The 200 acres of Stray land includes some routes for cyclists but they are prohibited to use many areas.
Judy d’Arcy-Thompson, chair of the Stray Defence Association, said:
“One of the best things about the Stray is the freedom but if you’re walking along and a cyclist comes behind you when you aren’t expecting it, it can be distressing.
“If people are getting worried or feel unsafe we would agree with Cllr Gibbs that it was a good idea.”
Kevin Douglas, chair of Harrogate District Cycle Action, said more needed to be done to offer safe routes for cyclists so riders didn’t feel they had to use the Stray:
Harrogate’s Oatlands Drive set to get double yellow lines?“Most responsible cyclists don’t use them. But until there is proper, safe cycling infrastructure people will use the Stray.”
A review into traffic measures on Harrogate’s Oatlands Drive is likely to include new double yellow lines, according to a senior county councillor.
North Yorkshire County Council is due to publish a new set of measures this autumn to improve walking and cycling in the Oatlands Drive area.
The Oatlands Constituency Feasibility Study is being drawn up after the council ditched proposals to introduce a one-way system on the road following complaints from residents.
Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive councillor for highways at North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret that he expected double yellow lines to be included in the feasibility study.
It follows concern that drivers have been ignoring signs erected by Harrogate Borough Council warning drivers they face a £100 fine or being towed away if they park on Stray land next to the cycle lane on Oatlands Drive.
The new signs on Oatlands Drive.
One side of Oatlands Drive has double yellow lines but the other side — where cars park — does not.
The signs only appeared last week but pictures have already emerged of cars parked right next to the signs blocking the cycle route.
Although Cllr Mackenzie said he could not guarantee where the proposals would suggest the double yellow lines be placed, he said they were likely to be included in a “comprehensive scheme” for the area.
He said:
“I’m pretty sure it will be included.”
Cllr Mackenzie added that the county council had outlined plans for double yellow lines in its rejected proposals for Oatlands.
But he added that introducing double yellow lines might just increase parking congestion on other streets.
Cllr Mackenzie said:
“We could have put in yellow lines, but we are also aware that residents on St Hilda’s Road are already suffering from long term parkings problems.
“While those people are not breaking any laws, it does make it difficult to get in and out of driveways.
“Every time we introduce them [double yellow lines], it tends to shift the problem elsewhere. If it did not have a knock on affect then we would have done it.”
Cllr Mackenzie said he expected officers to bring the review into Oatlands to him “in the next few weeks”.
Following the introduction of the signs on Oatlands, a borough council spokesperson said the authority hoped people would “think twice” before parking on the street.
The spokesperson added council officials were working with the county council on a “more permanent solution” to the parking problem.
They said that parking on the Stray breached the Stray Act 1985:
“A breach of the act allows the borough council — as custodians of the Stray — to issue a £100 fine to anyone caught parking on the Stray, or to have their vehicle towed away.
“We hope that the signage will make people think twice about parking on Oatlands Drive and allow cyclists to use the cycle path as intended.”
In a letter to the Stray Ferret, Judy d’Arcy-Thompson, chair of the Stray Defence Association, said yellow lines was the “simplest solution” to parking problems on Oatlands Drive but the county council had been “ridiculously uncooperative”.
Stray Views: Double yellow lines would solve Stray parking problems instantlyStray Views 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. See below for details on how to contribute.
Regarding the Oatlands no parking signs, such signage is not allowed under the Stray Act and is, therefore, technically illegal. However, so is parking on the Stray.
That said, we have been working with Harrogate Borough Council and have mutually agreed with the temporary erection of these signs as we have sympathy with their efforts to resolve the ongoing parking problems.
Over the past many years the Stray Defence Association has tried to get this situation resolved. We have always felt that the simplest solution would be a double yellow line down BOTH sides of the road. However, North Yorkshire County Council has flatly refused to do this, despite innumerable approaches.
Regrettably people seem to think they have an innate right to park wherever they choose. Sadly they do not appear to have the same recognition of the damage they do to the Stray all along there, together with blocking the cycle lane.
Frankly NYCC have been ridiculously uncooperative over putting in double yellow lines, the best and simplest solution all round.
Why is beyond comprehension as it would be a quick, simple and legally binding solution to the problem and could have been done 15-plus years ago.
As it is there has been endless damage to the Stray all along Oatlands Drive and the edges of Oatlands Stray and endless complaints from the cycling fraternity who, rightly, complain that their cycle lane is obstructed.
It is time that the law was enforced and this illegal parking was brought to an end. Perhaps this will make NYCC see sense and install double yellow lines.
Judy d’Arcy-Thompson, chair of the Stray Defence Association
Your photo of parking on Oatlands Drive gives an easy pointer to why people park as they do. They mistake the dotted line of the bike lane as an encouragement to put one side of the car within that line and one side on the verge.
It is compounded by there being a double yellow on the western side (with the bike lane markings) and nothing on the other side.
So, the council could fine people for having one side of the car on the Stray verge, but if they simply park wholly on the road, no offence against the Stray and no offence against parking? Their signs imply that parking on Oatlands Drive is not allowed.
Bob Hankinson, Harrogate
I continue to be surprised by the enthusiasm of North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council to spend taxpayers money on illogical projects which are universally unpopular with local residents and merely serve to exacerbate and concentrate traffic flows rather than keep them diluted.
Having already registered my opposition to the Beech Grove experimental traffic order, which has frustrated both drivers and local residents and has inevitably increased the flow of traffic down Victoria Road, Queens Road and Cold Bath Road, I am now surprised to see that NYCC will continue to create further problems by introducing a one-way system on Victoria Road.
This new plan, apparently intended to reduce traffic, is going to push even more drivers down Queens Road (where I live) and Cold Bath Road. Cold Bath Road is congested at the best of times but as soon as the schools go back (and indeed once office workers start to return) it will become unbearable.
Moreover, I dread to think what sort of impact the several thousand new houses they are building on Yew Tree Lane, Whinney Lane, Cardale Park and Otley Road will have on congestion. All the traffic created by these developments will flow down Otley Road and Cold Bath Road with no improvements to the road traffic routes.
It’s all very well for public sector employees to sit around examining ways of maintaining their budgets and tinkering with local roads to divert traffic when it has no material impact whatsoever on their personal lives. But on the ground it will concentrate traffic down certain roads and your next initiative is going to worsen rather than improve this situation.
Surely NYCC and HBC have more worthy and important projects to spend taxpayers money on? A few of note might be:
1 Rejuvenating the town centre, which is a depressing day out now that many stores have closed and are unlikely to reopen. Surely more can be done to encourage businesses to take up empty retail space.
2 Cleaning up the litter problem in the town centre. Every morning I walk our dog through the town and the amount of litter gets worse and worse.
3 Showing more consideration for local residents by completing jobs which inconvenience thousands of people on a daily basis far more quickly. Two examples are: The 4/5 way traffic light at the top of Pannal Ash Road were in place for months during school term and created huge tail backs. There appeared to be no urgency whatsoever to complete the job. We then had a similar experience on East Parade with temporary traffic lights causing significant tail backs. The works, which finished on the Wednesday, were in place for two more days with no-one doing any work. I called up NYCC and asked why this was the case and the operator said that the traffic lights were still in place because the works were due to finish on the Friday. But the works had clearly finished on the Wednesday!
4 Improve the state of Harrogate’s roads which are appalling in parts.
None of the above reflects particularly well on NYCC or HBC. I am not alone in holding these opinions.
David Pickering, Harrogate
Please could you congratulate John Plummer on being appointed Editor. I hope makes a great success of the role and enjoys it.
Drivers have already defied the new “no parking” signs on the Stray despite warnings from Harrogate Borough Council that they risk a £100 fine or being towed away.
Within days of the council erecting the signs on Oatlands Drive at a cost of £63, pictures of vehicles parked right next to them have emerged.
The lack of compliance will add to the frustration of cyclists who are blocked from using the cycle lane when vehicles park on the Stray. This usually happens when activities, such as football matches, take place.
One side of Oatlands Drive has double yellow lines but the other side — where cars park — does not.
We asked the council whether it has fined or towed any vehicles away since putting up the signs but we have not yet received a response.
A council spokeswoman said previously it was working with North Yorkshire County Council to find a “more permanent solution” to the parking problem.
She added that parking on the Stray breached the Stray Act 1985:
Cycle group welcomes new ‘no parking’ signs on Harrogate’s Oatlands Drive“A breach of the act allows the borough council — as custodians of the Stray — to issue a £100 fine to anyone caught parking on the Stray, or to have their vehicle towed away.
“We hope that the signage will make people think twice about parking on Oatlands Drive and allow cyclists to use the cycle path as intended.”
A cycling group has welcomed new signs on the Oatlands Drive section of the Stray in Harrogate saying it is an offence to park on the land.
Cars frequently mount the kerb to park when activities take place on the Stray, blocking one of the cycle lanes — much to the fury of cyclists.
One side of Oatlands Drive has double yellow lines but the side where vehicles park does not.
Cars mounting the kerb and blocking the cycle lane on Oatlands Drive.
The issue became a particularly sore point this year when proposals to make Oatlands Drive one-way for traffic and improve the cycle lanes were rejected after protests by residents.
So the newly-installed signs, warning that parking on the Stray could lead to a fine or vehicles being removed, has been hailed as a “step forward” by Kevin Douglas, chairman of Harrogate District Cycle Action, which promotes cycling.
He said:
“The principle of putting signs up is a step forward.
“It’s something that we have been asking them to do for some time. People parking there is forcing cyclists into the middle of the road.
“We support any action which helps improve cycling.”
The Stray Ferret has approached Harrogate Borough Council, which erected the signs, for further details.
Lib Dems ‘angry about loss of Harrogate funfair and Christmas market’
The leader of the Liberal Democrats on Harrogate Borough Council has expressed anger at the loss of the Harrogate Christmas Market and the annual funfair on the Stray.
In a statement sent to the Stray Ferret, Cllr Pat Marsh asked why the council couldn’t have been more supportive of the events and pro-active in making them happen.
She also said there was a danger of the Harrogate district acquiring a “reputation of not welcoming and not being supportive of special events”.
She said:
“The Lib Dems on Harrogate Borough Council are very angry at the way that annual events are being cancelled.
“First it was the local Christmas market. That meant local artisans won’t be able to sell their products to residents.
“Now we have the annual funfair being cancelled. That is something thousands of young people have enjoyed over many, many years.
“Why has this been allowed to happen? Why couldn’t the council be more supportive?”
Cllr Marsh also said the decision to prevent the events from going ahead was not one made by all councillors. She was not allowed to attend talks between council officers and the former Christmas market organisers. She said:
“We need to ensure that all councillors are kept informed and have a chance to have an input, we are all elected by the residents to act on their behalf.”
We sent Cllr Marsh’s statement to Harrogate Borough Council for a response but did not receive a reply by the time of publication.
The family that stages the funfair told the Stray Ferret the event would not go ahead because Harrogate Borough Council hiked the charge for using Stray land.
Ruby Wilson, who has taken over organising the fair on behalf of her dad John Jameson, said the council had doubled the price from £5,000 to £10,000.
With additional costs on top, including VAT and a £2,000 deposit in case the Stray is damaged, Ms Wilson said the event was no longer viable. The council disputes the claims.
Harrogate Borough Council refused a licence for the Harrogate Christmas Market due to concerns about coronavirus, overcrowding and terrorism.
After three weeks of wrangling with the council, co-organiser Brian Dunsby admitted defeat in his battle to hold the event on Montpellier Hill.
It later emerged the council had been engaged in talks with Manchester-based organisers Market Place Europe in March and has now ramped up those discussions about staging an alternative Christmas market in December.
Historic Harrogate funfair cancelled after ‘council price hike’The annual August Bank Holiday funfair on the Stray in Harrogate, which dates back to 1953, will not take place this weekend following a row over fees.
The family that stages the event told the Stray Ferret the event would not go ahead because Harrogate Borough Council had hiked the charge for using Stray land.
Ruby Wilson, who has taken over organising the fair on behalf of her dad John Jameson, said the council had doubled the price from £5,000 to £10,000.
With additional costs on top, including VAT and a £2,000 deposit in case the Stray is damaged, Ms Wilson said the event was no longer viable.
Mr Jameson was at the first fair when the Corrigan family ran it. The Shaw family later took it on before the Jameson family stepped up. He told the Stray Ferret:
“The council did not provide any reason for such a big price hike. We just cannot afford to pay that, the fair does not make that much money.
“Our family has strong connections with Harrogate so it is sad for us to not be able to put the fun fair on. We will try again next year.
“Over the years we have been forced to give up the number of days we use the Stray and now we are facing a big price hike. It just does not feel fair.”
But the council disputed the claims. A spokesman said:
Birdwatcher chuffed to spot ‘very rare’ white bird in Harrogate“The council have not had any contact from the organisers concerning the funfair since April this year, meaning it is now too late for them to submit an event plan for the coming weekend.
“If they contact us directly we are more than happy to discuss arrangements for future years”.
An amateur birdwatcher has spotted what he believes is a rare white bird on the Stray in Harrogate.
David Johnson was walking with his dog and children when the bird caught his eye yesterday afternoon near Kwik Fit.
At first he thought it was a scrap of paper or a pigeon but was very happy to find something a little less common.
He thought that it could be white jackdaw but after asking a few questions he now believes that it could be a leucistic crow.
When Mr Johnson posted picture on a local Facebook group, one person replied to say there was a leucistic crow on the Stray around a decade ago nicknamed ‘Snowy’.
Birds with leucism are similar to those with albinism but they will have normally coloured eyes, legs, feet and bills.
Mr Johnson told the Stray Ferret that he was chuffed:
Vandals seriously damage Stray cherry trees again“I posted something on a Facebook group. A few people came back to me with some information. They said it could be a leucistic crow.
“It it nice to see, it is really unusual. I walk around the Oval and Stray most days and I have not seen it before.
“The kids seem interested but maybe they weren’t as keen as me. I am really chuffed, we were lucky to spot it and Harrogate is lucky to have it.
“I have been telling lots of people, I am sure I have already bored my neighbours with it! It’s certainly the rarest bird I have ever seen.”
Eight cherry trees on the Stray has been vandalised over the weekend.
Some of the trees line the footpath known as Cherry Tree Walk, opposite the Kwik Fit garage, where branches have been deliberately broken or snapped off.
Vandalism to the trees has become a persistent problem with regular incidents over the past year.
In October last year, local police officer, Sgt Paul Cording tweeted about a number of trees “destroyed and killed” on York Place Stray.
Last summer there were reports of vandalism affecting young trees when local police officers were attempting to crack down on large groups congregating illegally on the Stray.
“What a sad and sorry sight to see these beautiful trees subjected to mindless vandalism once again.
Many have been planted in memory of loved ones and many for victims of the thalidomide tragedy. In every case love and consideration has gone into the planting of these trees which bring so much pleasure to so many In Harrogate and beyond.
As I said only recently when another tree was vandalised, this is utterly appalling and disgraceful behaviour. There is no polite way of describing the perpetrators of these abysmal acts. Devastating in every way and for everyone. Despicable behaviour, just despicable.”
A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council said its parks team would assess the damage to the trees and remove broken branches.