Labour and Reform UK by-election candidates reveal Harrogate priorities

Labour and Reform UK’s candidates in a forthcoming Harrogate by-election have spoken of their priorities if elected.

Voters in Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone will go to the polls on April 11 to vote for a successor on North Yorkshire Council to Liberal Democrat Pat Marsh, who resigned after making anti-semitic posts on social media.

Labour and Reform UK were the last two parties to reveal who they had selected after the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Greens previously announced candidates.

In a press release, Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour Party described its candidate, Geoff Foxall, as “a tireless community campaigner in Harrogate, where he has lived all his life, working as a teacher at Harrogate High School then school governor at Harrogate High, Harrogate College, the grammar school, and Starbeck school in retirement”.

It added he was an advocate for public libraries, a community archaeologist, and keen walker.

Mr Foxall said:

“If elected, I will work passionately to deliver a fresh start for the area that I love and for the town where I was born and have lived in my entire life.

“My eight years as a Labour councillor on Harrogate District Council including four years as group leader, have given me the experience to hold the Conservative council to account for poor quality roads, unreliable public transport, and cuts to our public services. The North Yorkshire Labour Group is influential and growing and if elected I would join their ranks to advocate for a fairer and stronger North Yorkshire.

“As chair of Starbeck Residents Association I was active in opposing a relief road through the Nidd Gorge and creating a community woodland in the green belt between Harrogate and Knaresborough. I have also opposed overdevelopment in the Starbeck and Kingsley Road areas of Harrogate.

“My priorities if elected would be to bring together politicians and community groups from all walks of life to deliver improved roads, better and more reliable public transport, and investment in our care services and local schools.”

Reform candidate focused on station gateway

Harrogate-born Jonathan Swales, whose family were the original owners of Yorkshire Farmers Limited and Swales (Harrogate) Wholesale Fruit and Veg businesses, will attempt to become Reform UK’s second North Yorkshire councillor after Cllr Mike Jordan’s defected to the party.

A press release announcing his candidacy said he was married to fine artist Helen, with whom he has two children, and has “extensive management and business experience, having held a number of senior level management, and director roles in the construction industry”.

Mr Swales said:

“I am very proud of my Harrogate roots, and Yorkshire heritage.

“As a local resident I am well aware of the local issues that people are concerned about and how national issues feed into local issues. I share the frustration when people’s views are just ignored.”

Mr Swales cited the Harrogate Gateway Project as one of his priorities. He said:

“A failing of the process around that project was that local councillors didn’t engage with council cabinet members and council officers. There was an opportunity to influence, and get a better outcome, that opportunity was lost.

“Everyone wants a better town centre, and this project could have been part of that overall improvement, but we now have a scheme that doesn’t really deliver anything for anyone — and that includes the cyclists, people on foot or people arriving by bus or train.

“In the Stray,  Woodlands and Hookstone division, there are also planning matters, such as the racket courts near to Hookstone Woods. Then there are the ongoing concerns of potholes, roads being used for click-throughs, and the area being used for parking by the schools and the hospital.”

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Reform UK leader Richard Tice said the party was building a base in North Yorkshire and the by-election would give an indication of how people may vote in the general election, when Richard Brown will contest Harrogate and Knaresborough for Reform UK. Mr Tice added:

“No longer will Harrogate be a Conservative vs Lib Dem, it will be ‘vote Reform UK, get Reform UK’.”

The full list of by-election candidates is:

Voting will take place from 7am to 10pm with the election count taking place in the evening after the close of polling.

Residents of the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone division have until midnight on Friday, March 22, to register to vote and until 5pm on Monday, March 25, to apply for a postal vote.

If someone is unable to vote in person or by post they have until 5pm on Wednesday, April 3, to apply for a proxy vote.

 

Five candidates to contest Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone by-election

Five candidates will contest a North Yorkshire Council by-election in Harrogate next month.

Nominations for the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone division seat have closed with voters going to the polls on Thursday, April 11.

The by-election is being held following the resignation of Liberal Democrat Pat Marsh, who posted anti-semitic comments on social media.

The candidates are:

Voting will take place from 7am to 10pm with the election count taking place in the evening after the close of polling.

Residents of the Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone division have until midnight on Friday, March 22, to register to vote and until 5pm on Monday, March 25, to apply for a postal vote.

If someone is unable to vote in person or by post they have until 5pm on Wednesday, April 3, to apply for a proxy vote.

Voters attending the polling station will need to bring photo ID to be able to vote.

This could include a UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence, full or provisional; a UK passport or a passport issued by the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man, or any of the Channel Islands; and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or blue badge.

Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.

Anyone without an accepted form of ID should apply for a free voter authority certificate by 5pm on Wednesday, April 3.

You can register to vote here and apply for a postal vote here. You can apply for voter ID here.

More information on the by-election is available here.

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Volunteers plant 40,000 crocuses on Harrogate’s Stray

About 35 volunteers with wellies and spades planted thousands of crocuses on the Stray at West Park in Harrogate this week.

Some 40,000 crocus bulbs have been added to the Stray over the last couple of years.

The perennials, which flower in late winter and spring, have become synonymous with the 200 acres of parkland around Harrogate. It is believed there are between six and eight million of the flowers on the Stray.

This week’s effort focused on the Otley Road section, which has not been covered in recent planting schemes.

Organised by North Yorkshire Council, which manages the Stray, people from Bilton Conservation Group, Harrogate manufacturer Belzona Polymerics, the charity Open Country and individual volunteers took part in this week’s planting.

This week’s planting.

Emma, aged almost 2, explores the crocuses on West Park Stray, Harrogate

Crocuses flowering in spring this year on West Park Stray.

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Photo of the Week: Tewit Well

This week’s photograph was taken by Brian Morrison, capturing the autumnal colours around Tewit Well in Harrogate.

Brian Morrison

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

Saturday’s Stray bonfire may be last, say organisers

The organisers of the annual bonfire on the Stray in Harrogate have warned that last Saturday’s event could be the last.

Harrogate Round Table has organised the town’s main bonfire for 52 years.

But the charity said today it was struggling to cover the costs and there was a question mark over whether it would be held next year.

In a statement expressing its “heartfelt appreciation” to those who attended Saturday’s event, despite wet weather, the round table said:

“The cost of holding this wonderful community event has risen dramatically over the last three years in line with inflation and the dramatic cost of living that we are all feeling.

“We are still processing payments and accumulating this year’s totals, but at this stage we can see that it is unlikely we will meet previous totals raised and may well struggle to cover the cost of the event. This brings into question the viability of future bonfire events.

“The annual Harrogate charity Stray bonfire night has been a cherished tradition, bringing our community together for the past 52 years. However, due to the increased expenses and risks involved in its planning, we are faced with the unfortunate possibility that this may be the last Harrogate charity Stray bonfire night that Harrogate Round Table hosts, if we do not receive the necessary financial support.”

The statement appealed for donations to “ensure the continuity of this treasured tradition”.

A GoFundMe campaign with a £5,000 has currently generated less than £2,000. You can donate here.

The round table said:

“Your generosity will directly impact our ability to continue hosting these events for everyone to enjoy.

“The Harrogate Round Table team firmly believes in the power of community, and with your support, we can overcome the current challenges and continue to provide memorable experiences for all. Please join us in preserving this wonderful tradition for future generations.”

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Harrogate Stray bonfire to go-ahead after safety inspection

Harrogate’s annual bonfire is set to go-ahead this weekend after a safety inspection.

The event, which is organised by Harrogate and District Round Table, will return on Saturday, November 4, for its 52nd year.

The bonfire will be lit on the Oatlands Stray near to St Aidan’s Church of England High School.

In a post on its social media this morning, Harrogate and District Round Table said:

“Follow a safety inspection this morning, we are delighted to confirm that the Stray Bonfire and Fireworks is going ahead as planned.”

The decision comes despite heavy rain in Harrogate this week caused by Storm Ciarán.

Meanwhile, nearby Wetherby Town Council has been forced to postpone its bonfire event on Saturday due to adverse weather and ground conditions.

The Harrogate event will take place from 5pm until 8.30pm and include fireworks and live music.

The bonfire is free to attend but the round table, which is a charity, will raise funds for Harrogate Homeless Project.

It has set up a GoFundMe page and urged people to text BONFIRE to 70560 to donate £5.

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Government rejects plan for 20-metre 5G mast overlooking the Stray

A government inspector has rejected a bid to erect a 20-metre high 5G mast overlooking the Stray in Harrogate.

The inspector acknowledged the mast would boost poor 5G coverage in Harrogate but ruled it would also be “a conspicuous and intrusive feature in the surrounding area”.

CK Hutchison Networks (UK) Ltd, which operates Three Mobile, wanted to build the mast at Granby Park, which is adjacent to the Stray by Skipton Road.

The now-defunct Harrogate Borough Council rejected the plan because of concerns about its visual impact not only on the Stray but also on Skipton Road and Claro Road in February.

CK Hutchison Networks took the decision to the government’s Planning Inspectorate, which adjudicates on disputes.

It argued the mast would not have a detrimental impact on the street scene and the 20 metre height was the “absolute minimum height which can be deployed to bring the benefits of 5G”.

But in a judgement published yesterday, inspector F Harrison said the mast would be “starkly incongruous” and “an intrusive feature in the surrounding area”.

The inspector added:

“I am not satisfied that alternative sites have been properly explored.”

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Civic society objects to Harrogate Stray common land proposal

Harrogate Civic Society has objected to plans to designate the Stray as common land.

The Open Spaces Society applied to register Harrogate’s 200-acre expanse as common land, a move which has been met with opposition by some in the town.

Andrew Jones, Harrogate and Knaresborough MP, and the Stray Defence Association have already objected to the proposal.

Now, the town’s civic society has become the latest to declare its opposition to the plan.

In a letter to North Yorkshire Council, Henry Pankhurst, of the Harrogate Civic Society, said registering the Stray as common land would lead to “confusion” as it is already covered by the Harrogate Stray Act 1985.

He said:

“If Stray land were to appear on the Commons Registration Act map then it would show up on local search results for property purchasers etc.

“This does not however outweigh the potential for confusion if both the Stray Act and the Commons Registration Act apply to the same land.”

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Mr Pankhurst added that the public had been consulted on changes to the Stray Act in 2016/17 and “made it clear that the act should not be changed”.

The move comes after the Open Spaces Society tabled a bid to register the Stray as common land back in January.

Founded in 1865 as the Commons Preservation Society, the OSS is Britain’s oldest national conservation body. Its past victories include the preservation of Hampstead Heath, Wimbledon Common and Epping Forest.

When the Commons Registration Act 1965 came into force, the Stray was exempted from inclusion in the common land register, but following the passing of the Commons Act 2006, the OSS has been trying to register such exempted land and wants to bring the Stray “back into the fold”.

When the application was made earlier this year, OSS case officer Hugh Craddock said:

“The decision in the 1960s to keep the Stray off the registers was understandable but misguided. 

“Only a quarter of one per cent of registered common land was exempted from registration, and exemption proved to be both misleading and unhelpful. The Stray has always been common land, and ought to be registered as common land.”

700 people take part in Harrogate Race for Life

About 700 people took part in the Race for Life fundraising event in Harrogate on Sunday, generating £95,000 for cancer research.

The number appears to be sharply down on last year, when some 1,400 people pledged to take part.

Cancer Research UK organises Race for Life events across the country to fund scientists to find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

Participants on the Stray dodged the thunder storms to take part in 3k, 5k or 10k events.

Lisa Millett, Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson in Harrogate, said numbers were down because there wasn’t a Pretty Muddy or Pretty Muddy Kids event this year.

She said the charity was “incredibly grateful to everyone who took part”, adding:

“The atmosphere at Race for Life Harrogate was hugely moving — full of emotion, courage, tears and laughter as people celebrated the lives of those dear to them who have survived cancer and remembered loved ones lost to the disease.

“Now we’re asking everyone who took part to return the money they’re raised as soon as possible.”

Race for Life has raised over £940m towards life-saving research since it began 30 years ago.  More than 10 million people have taken part.

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MP and campaigners oppose registering Stray as common land

The debate over the Stray’s official designation has been rekindled following an intervention by Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough. 

He became involved in the controversy after the Open Spaces Society applied to register Harrogate’s 200-acre expanse as common land, a move which has been met with opposition by some in the town. 

Mr Jones wrote to the general secretary of the OSS seeking more information about the application. He said:

“After reading it carefully it was still difficult to see why the Open Spaces Society had made this application. I was unclear what it would achieve and why this designation was needed when we already have law – the Stray Act – giving the area protection.  

“The Stray Act has served us well. It limits large-scale use of the land; changes can only be made after Parliamentary scrutiny, and where the Stray is damaged it has to be restored by law.” 

Founded in 1865 as the Commons Preservation Society, the OSS is Britain’s oldest national conservation body. Its past victories include the preservation of Hampstead Heath, Wimbledon Common and Epping Forest. 

When the Commons Registration Act 1965 came into force, the Stray was exempted from inclusion in the common land register, but following the passing of the Commons Act 2006, the OSS has been trying to register such exempted land and wants to bring the Stray “back into the fold”. 

When the application was made in January 2023, OSS case officer Hugh Craddock said: 

“The decision in the 1960s to keep the Stray off the registers was understandable but misguided. Only a quarter of one per cent of registered common land was exempted from registration, and exemption proved to be both misleading and unhelpful. The Stray has always been common land, and ought to be registered as common land.” 

Frances Kerner, the OSS’ commons re-registration officer who made the application, added: 

“Registration can only reinforce the protection already afforded to the Stray under the Harrogate Stray Act 1985.  The land will also become protected under the Commons Act 2006. And registration will ensure that those who buy and sell land adjacent to the common are always notified of its protected status.”

‘Unnecessary and alarming’

But Judy d’Arcy Thompson, chair of the Stray Defence Association (SDA), said the application was unnecessary as the Stray already enjoyed three layers of protection: it is Crown land; it was granted in 1778 to the people of Harrogate “forever hereafter” under the Enclosures Act of 1770; and it is safeguarded by the Harrogate Stray Act 1985. 

Writing to the commons registration officer at North Yorkshire Council, she said: 

“The SDA has been contacted by many who are worried and would like to know what is going to happen. All are bewildered as they have always felt certain that their beloved Stray was already fully protected and they are alarmed in equal measure as to what might happen should the OSS application be approved.”

A drone image of West Park Stray taken today, July 31, by David Simister.

A drone image of West Park Stray. Picture: David Simister

Ms d’Arcy Thompson also pointed to the fact that some parts of the Stray are not connected with the main 200-acre expanse, such as land in the Woodlands area and the grass verges, or “slips”, along Wetherby Road, Skipton Road and Knaresborough Road. She said if the Stray was designated common land, some people could theoretically be barred from crossing those verges, effectively denying them access to their own property.

She also feared that the OSS may be working from the wrong maps – a concern first raised by the late Harrogate historian Malcolm Neesam. 

She said: 

“This kind of designation has happened elsewhere and has caused such legal machinations that in some cases it has ended up in the High Court and cost a lot of money. We don’t want that to happen here. 

“It might not turn out like that here, but knowing how careful people have to be with maps and boundaries, the OSS only need to get one small thing wrong to cause a lot of trouble. This may prove to be a legal minefield in the making.” 

‘It would strengthen protection’

In its reply to Mr Jones, the OSS said that, using a mechanism provided by Part 1 of the Commons Act 2006, its policy is now to apply to register as common land all exempted land in North Yorkshire, including the Stray. It said:  

“Registration will ensure that the exempted land properly is recognised as registered common land and will be reported as such on a search conducted in relation to a purchase of land or house adjacent to the common (where for example access is required over the common).  

“It will also ensure that the land definitively is brought within the protection of Part 3 of the 2006 Act, which provides for controls on works on common land, with a régime for the Secretary of State to consent to such works.”

It added: 

“The controls in Part 3 of the 2006 Act will be in addition to those set out in the Harrogate Stray Act 1985. Far from weakening the 1985 Act regime, registration will strengthen the protection for the Stray.” 

But Mr Jones said: 

“In the response from the Open Spaces Society I could still see no positive reason to progress this application. They may think that the exemption in 1965 was misguided and they may have some blanket policy they are implementing from their Henley-on-Thames HQ. But the important thing is to ensure the Stray is protected rather than ticking some policy box.  

“The Stray Act is very powerful protection. That will not change, so the question remains about the purpose of this new common land application. I simply haven’t yet been given any meaningful reasons by the Open Spaces Society to support their proposal.” 

Ms d’Arcy Thompson also remains unswayed. She said: 

“We’re not being petty – we’re just foreseeing potential problems. Why open the Pandora’s box to possible litigation here, there and everywhere? 

“It’s all ifs and buts and maybes, but we don’t want to see something happen that could cause stress and expense when the status quo works very well.”

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