Candidates standing for the upcoming North Yorkshire Council elections were quizzed by an audience in Harrogate last night.

The Stray Ferret held an election hustings chaired by editor John Plummer at the Wesley Centre ahead of a landmark polling day for the town.

Questions on housing and congestion featured heavily on the night, as well as the environment, the Stray and a Harrogate town council.

Voters will head to the polls on May 5 to elect councillors to the new North Yorkshire Council.

The election will be the last before the authority replaces North Yorkshire County Council and seven district councils, including Harrogate Borough Council, in what will prove to be the biggest shakeup in local government since the 1970s.

Labour, the Liberal Democrats, Green Party and Independents all attended the hustings on Tuesday evening – but the Conservatives declined.

You can watch the full hustings below.

Housing and congestion

The candidates first faced a question on how they would ensure roads and local services could cope with ongoing housebuilding in Harrogate.

Labour’s Chris Watt, who is standing in Fairfax and Starbeck division, said:

“The first thing I would do is work with local residents to oppose housing developments where there is not adequate infrastructure.”

He pointed to developments on Kingsley Drive as an example.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Fairfax and Starbeck, Philip Broadbank, said he felt the council should encourage more people out of cars.

He said:

“We have to encourage people to get out of there cars and use them less.

“We also need investment in public transport.”

(From left) Bill Rigby, Chris Watt, John Plummer, Philip Broadbank and Sarah Hart.

Bill Rigby, who is standing for the Green Party in Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate, said the number of cars on the road needed to be reduced.

“The main way you can reduce the traffic is by reducing the number of cars.”

Sarah Hart, Independent candidate for Harlow and St George’s, said:

“We need the right homes in the right places.

“We need more homes for local people who work here. And they should be in suitable locations.”T

Town council and the Stray

Meanwhile, the candidates were also asked about how the Stray would be used under the new council and who would look after it.

Mr Watt said:

“There should be a local community work on the Stray.”

He added that people should be involved in what happens with the Stray and what events are held on it.

Mr Rigby agreed that local people should be involved in deciding what happens with the Stray.

“I agree that the community should be involved in its management.”

He added that he would support the introduction of a town council to take control of the Stray.

Ms Hart agreed that the community should look after the Stray and supported creating a Harrogate Town Council.

“If there is a Harrogate Town Council, then they should protect it.”

Mr Broadbank said that the Stray was “unique” and added that Valley Gardens should also be considered for events too.

Hustings in full

The candidates also fielded questions on a Killinghall bypass, the environment and opposition parties working together.

You can watch the full debate below.

If there is one thing the people of Harrogate can actually agree on, it’s that our trees make it a healthier and better place to live.

Beech trees help soak up pollution from cars on Otley Road and the cherry blossoms provide a brilliant show at this time of year on the Stray.

David Humberstone has been a tree surgeon all his working life and owns The Tree People in Harrogate. A tree surgeon is responsible for the care and general treatment of trees to keep them healthy.

He said people are passionate about their trees here:

“What I love about my job the most is the variety. I enjoy all of it. You can be climbing up a majestic tree that’s been there for 100 years.”

Trees face many threats, from diseases like Ash Dieback to the recent storms, but often it’s people’s own tastes and preferences about how they look that can put them at risk.

Harrogate Borough Council receives around 1,400 planning applications a year from residents wanting to prune, chop or cut down trees, often in their gardens.

Mr Humberstone said part of his job is persuading people that sometimes less is more, and not intervening can help a tree live a longer and healthier life in the long run.

“Harrogate residents usually are quite passionate about gardens but too many people want a clinical garden where everything’s perfect. 

“I find nature finds a better way, man’s intervention is not always desirable. We encourage trees to be thinned, but if you over thin, wind speed can increase and it loses leaves.”

“A lot of people want to cut back as hard as they can to maximise light. But you can shoot yourself in the foot as a tree can react not always in a good way.”

Cherry blossoms on Harrogate Stray.

Read more:

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Plant more trees

The Climate Change Committee says the UK should be planting 30,000 hectares of trees a year, but we’re still some way off that target.

Harrogate Borough Council is currently planting 10,000 trees in Bilton Fields as well as at Upper Horse Shoe Fields in Knaresborough.

The planting is part of the government’s White Rose Forest initiative to create 10 community forests in England. Oak, hornbeam, hazel, alder, cherry, crab apple and other native trees will be planted.

Mr Humberstone said it’s vital that more trees are planted in the district, whether on a large scale or in someone’s back garden.

He said:

“One mature beech tree can take the pollution from two houses.

“Yes, it also takes a long time for a tree to establish. It gets comfortable for a few years before roots take off and grow. When it gets to 50 years old it is just getting out of its teenage years, it’s very important to maintain our big trees.

“The planet needs more trees and we need to plant more. It breaks my heart when I have to take a good tree down.”

And whilst the equation that more trees will improve the environment is straightforward, they have other benefits that you might not know about.

Mr Humberstone added:

“A beech tree has a pubescent leaf. It has hairs on it that help catch dust particles in the air. So not only does it provide oxygen, it filters dust out of the air. When it rains that dust is washed to the ground. Trees have so many benefits.”

Built environment

Like many of us, Mr Humberstone has a couple of favourite trees that he likes to admire as he works around Harrogate.

“On Granby corner there is a beautiful elm on the corner. On Devonshire Place there’s another beautiful elm. I’m a bit nostalgic as when I started I was cutting down lots of elm.

“Elm doesn’t rot in water and they used it to build Victorian piers.

“I am also very passionate about the yew tree. There’s whole books written about them. Its rock hard and is poisonous. They use it in drugs to fight fight cancer.”

And as Harrogate’s built environment has continued to grow with new housing developments and buildings, sometimes leading to conflict with the natural environment, Mr Humberstone said he will always be fighting the tree’s corner.

A review is to be launched into how Harrogate’s “vastly underused” Stray can better be used for events.

The town’s popular Valley Gardens and other green spaces will also be included in the review, which aims to ensure the district “is gaining maximum social and economic benefit from these assets.”

As one of Harrogate’s best known landmarks, the Stray is 200 acres of parkland that sits on the edge of the town centre.

Despite its prime location, it is rarely used for large events as it is protected by legislation.

The Stray Act 1985 states that the parkland can only be used for events on 35 days a year, and it is Harrogate Borough Council that decides which events can go ahead.

The council, which will be abolished next year, is now planning to launch a review this year into how the Stray can be better used, although this won’t include a change in legislation.

Read more:

• Harrogate Election Hustings: your chance to quiz the candidates
• Calls for ‘European-style’ waste collection in Harrogate district

Speaking at a meeting on Tuesday, Cllr Chris Aldred said the Stray is “vastly underused” by people in Harrogate and that they should be encouraged to use it more often through events.

Cllr Aldred said:

“A lot of people do not use it for more than dog walking.

“It is a vast space in the centre of town.”

The Stray is owned by the Duchy of Lancaster, and Harrogate Borough Council has responsibility for protecting and managing the parkland.

Damage during cycling event

It was infamously used during the UCI Road World Championships in 2019 when parts of the Stray used as a spectator area for the cycling event were badly damaged during heavy rain.

The race organisers Yorkshire 2019 later contributed £35,500 towards the repair costs, with an extra £95,000 of council cash being spent on upgrades.

Before the event could be held, the government had to grant permission for the Stray to be used for events beyond the permitted 35 days a year.

This was also the case for the Tour de Yorkshire in 2016 when Harrogate hosted part of the cycle race.

The new review into how the Stray can be better used will be led by the council’s tourism body Destination Harrogate, which has an overall aim to position the district as a “first choice destination for tourism, large-scale events and investment”.

Gemma Rio, head of Destination Harrogate, told Tuesday’s meeting: 

“There are so many beautiful spaces across the district that we want to make sure we are working with our partners to utilise effectively.

“Some of our actions are already well underway, but we haven’t begun this review yet.”

John McGivern, events manager at Destination Harrogate, also said: 

“When we do take this work action forward, it will be based on what we can do within the existing parameters.

“There is legislation in place that we have to work within, so it will be about making sure within that legislation we are making the best use of those spaces in the most commercial and beneficial ways.”

Harrogate Borough Council will again leave sections of the Stray uncut this year to improve biodiversity.

In 2021, the council’s parks team left grass verges close to the roadside on West Park Stray uncut until late autumn.

The new look was welcomed by many who saw it as a sign that the council, which manages parks and green spaces, is serious about improving biodiversity and attracting bees, birds and insects.

But those who cherish Harrogate’s long reputation for organised and elegant planting said it made the town look untidy.

Others suggested the move was down to cost-saving reasons, which the council denied.

A council spokeswoman said this morning:

“We will be repeating what we did last year and will leave the bulb areas on the Stray uncut until September/October time.”

Read more: 

• Your guide to Valley Gardens’ Fire and Light Experience, which starts tonight
• Conversion of former Harrogate Arms moves step closer

Harrogate Fake Festival is set to return this summer after a two-year break due to coronavirus.

Tickets are now live for the Harrogate edition of the event, which will be held on the Stray on July 16. Gates will open at 11.45am and close at 11pm.

The event will feature tribute acts for artists such as The Rolling Stones, Duran Duran, The Killers, Kasabian and Depeche Mode.

Although none of the acts feature the real artists, the organisers said they all “look, sound and move like the real rock-stars”.

The giant marquee will host the bands as well as a licensed bar. Outside revellers will find a variety of food traders as well as children’s activities.

Read more:

• Harrogate Fake Festival cancelled
• Giggling Squid sets Harrogate opening date

The event has been held on the Stray every summer since 2015, except for 2019 when it was moved to Killinghall Moor Country Park, and for the last two years, when it was cancelled.

The company Fake Festivals runs similar events across the country during the summer.

A spokesperson for Fake Festivals said:

After skipping two years, we’re chuffed to be back on the Stray for your annual Fake-Fest.

“We’ve rocked with you guys for many-a-year, so we know this’ll be a belter. We really can’t wait for your party-rocking.

“Round up your mates, get the voices ready and polish your dancing shoes – live music is back in town!”

Early-bird adult tickets cost £32.50 and a family of four ticket costs £95. Young people and those with a disability get a discounted rate.

Keeping in mind the importance of a vision for Harrogate’s future, the Stray Ferret asked Malcolm Neesam to come up with suggestions for making Harrogate more attractive to visitors and residents alike, regardless of cost or planning requirements. This is the first of three articles. Malcolm fully understands that his “visions” may not appeal to everyone, and he submits them as purely private dreams.

Vision 1: Unlocking the potential of Crescent Gardens

Here, I am referring to the gardens themselves, rather that the building that was until recently the home of Harrogate’s administration.

Crescent Gardens consists of the detached portion of Stray outside the Hotel St. George, and the rest of the gardens to the west of the slip road, which so awkwardly divides the council-owned gardens from the Stray. Although this rat-run is popular with motorists trying to avoid the traffic lights, it really should have been grassed over years ago, to create a single civic space at the heart of the spa area.

The centrepiece of my vision for Crescent Gardens is to complete the architectural frame-work of the unfinished building ensemble, which has the Grosvenor Buildings and the Royal Baths to the south, the Royal Hall and Exhibition Hall “M” to the east, the Hotel St. George and the former council offices to the north, and on the western edge – a small block of public lavatories and the disused Shelter of 1910.

Despite several attempts in the Victorian and post-Great War eras to build something handsome and useful on the gardens’ western edge, nothing was ever achieved. The site has tremendous potential, and the loss of a small strip of the gardens for a new building could easily be compensated by grassing over that awkward slip road and adding it to the main gardens.

Crescent Gardens

Although this land is owned by the council, it lacks the vision and business sense to grasp the development potential. I would commission an eminent, classically-based architect, to design a three or four-storey building on the western edge of Crescent Gardens to contain either offices or apartments in the upper floors and very high quality shops and restaurants on the ground floor.

Built of solid stone, and with elevations to harmonise with the other buildings around the gardens, the development would breathe new life into the heart of the spa area, and complete the architectural framework of this most important locality. The ground level would be fronted with a classical colonnade to protect pedestrians, and the first floor would have as its centre piece a large restaurant with a spacious terrace overlooking the gardens.

I would erect a splendid fountain at the centre of the gardens, consisting of a series of circular bowls of diminishing size to create an attractive water feature symbolic of the town whose old motto was Arx Celebris Fontibus (a citadel famous for its springs).

As for the pretty but under-used Shelter, I would move it 180 degrees on to the grassed area to the north of the Mercer Gallery for use by the gallery to display sculpture or the Park Drag.

Perhaps the new North Yorkshire Council will see the sense in doing something creative with the under-used asset that is the western edge of Crescent Gardens.

Vision 2: Replace the ‘piecemeal bungling’ of the Island site

This is the site bounded by Ripon Road, King’s Road and Springfield Avenue, excluding the land and buildings of the Hotel Majestic.

An aerial view of the Island site. Pic courtesy of Simon Kent.

The development of this key site for the economic prosperity of Harrogate was undertaken with a series of coherent master plans, until 1958, when these were junked in favour of amateurish, piece-meal bungling, which was so incompetent that the subsequent buildings had neither adequate road access nor a single floor level.

My vision for the island site is that I would demolish everything apart from the Royal Hall and the Convention Centre, and rebuild in the following manner to a master plan that ensured vehicular deliveries occurred away from the public highways and footpaths; that all ground floor areas other than that of the Royal Hall were of the same level; with an external architecture that harmonised and enhanced Harrogate’s historic monumental buildings; and, with green open space at its heart as an amenity for visitors and residents and to serve as the centre piece of a leisure and retail complex.

Malcolm would keep the Royal Hall but suggests a complete rethink for much of the land behind it. Photograph: Flickr, Tony Hisgett

Before embarking on my expenditure, I would undertake or commission fastidious research to establish the economic future on which the conference and exhibition business is based, possibly by such a reliable company as Mintel. If such research showed that these activities were likely to continue into the post-covid world, I would include the appropriate facilities in the development specification. If not, I would drop them.

Whatever the result, I would ensure that the new development was targeted at residents and general visitors, with an emphasis on leisure, entertainment, and retailing. After all, this is the heart of the town, and if I could change history, I would have shifted the whole damn development to the Great Yorkshire Showground and kept intact the old railway link that once crossed the site.

As for the new buildings, they would be built over a large underground vehicle park, above which several new structures would frame an open garden accessible to them all. Some of these new buildings would be dedicated to exhibition use, if the demand for this can be demonstrated. Others would contain such leisure amenities as bowling alleys, a trampoline facility, shops, cafes, and office space.

On the important site at the junction of Ripon and King’s Roads, I would reconstruct the most important monumental building ever erected in Harrogate, the Spa Rooms, with a stone facade including the main entrance of six Doric columns with a proper entablature, and the great Georgian internal saloon with its vaulted ceiling, musicians gallery and chandeliers. This would be used to contain a luxury restaurant, and also through its link, a break-out space for the neighbouring Royal Hall. I would also restore the little garden in front of the Royal Hall, long lost under a sea of tar, and replant the chopped down beech trees at the pavement junction of King’s and Ripon Roads.

Vision 3: Create stunning fountains on Prospect Place

Perhaps the most important entrance to the heart of the town is Prospect Place, as it is flanked by an imposing architectural backdrop and also by that wonderful symbol of Harrogate, the Stray.

Culminating at the War Memorial, from which Harrogate’s principal shopping streets radiate, it might be thought that the locality was beyond improvement, but given unlimited funding, I would add something so spectacular as to make visitors arriving at the town’s centre gasp with wonderment.

Prospect Place. Pic: Walker-Neesam Archive

Prospect Place between James Street and Victoria Avenue was at one time fronted by the individual gardens of the private or commercial properties to the east, all of which were converted into the present gardens after the Second World War, Harrogate Borough Council being responsible for their maintenance – a task they perform with great skill.

Here, I would introduce at least four multi-bowled cascade fountains to advertise Harrogate as the original Spadacrene Anglica — the English spa fountain, which would be illuminated at night, and of such a design as to ensure the minimum side effects from wind. Along the low row of boundary stones, which separate the gardens from the footpath, I would add a long ornamental railing, which would be attractive to the eye and useful in emphasising that pedestrians should remain on the path.

Why should earlier attempts to provide Harrogate with handsome water features always be doomed to failure? When a fountain was placed in Station Square after the Second World War, as part of the council’s plan to improve the town’s appearance, an order came from Emmanuel Shinwell’s Department of Power to turn it off, to save energy. A few years later, the council re-introduced a water feature as part of its reconstruction of Station Square, which was eventually filled in.

When Speyhawk remodelled the area outside the Victoria Quarter in 1992, it incorporated pools and fountains, which a subsequent owner was allowed to remove. The time is well overdue to provide Harrogate with some magnificent water features to celebrate its Spa past.

Tomorrow Malcolm gives his visions for the future of Station Square, Cambridge Street, Library Gardens and Princes Square

Two Masterchef quarter finalists are teaming up to launch a Christmas pop-up restaurant in a tipi at a Harrogate hotel.

Jo Mills, from Leeds, who appeared on the BBC cooking show in 2021, met Chris Hale from the 2016 series on a Facebook group for former MasterChef contestants.

The two chefs will take over Cedar Court Hotel’s Tipi on the Stray for two weeks from Thursday, December 9.

Chris, from Wakefield, who runs his own catering company, and helps Masterchef contestants to gain experience in cooking for events, said:

“We just wanted to do something different really in Harrogate.

“I do a lot of pop-up restaurants, so we turn venues, like cathedrals, into restaurants. So the tipi is aligned with what we do. For me it’s not just about the food, it’s about the whole experience. It will feel cosy and relaxed and I’m all about the chill vibes.”

Festive tapas, including turkey and sage bon bons with cranberry dip and mini nut roasts with candied carrots, will be served from 2pm to 10pm from Thursday to Saturday in collaboration with Magic Rock and Harrogate Tipple. On Sunday it’s a two-course bottomless brunch and on Monday to Wednesday, afternoon tea.

Then on December 20, 21 and 22 Afternoon Tea with Elsa, the character from Disney’s Frozen, will take place for families.

Chris said:

“I think we have got a really nice balanced menu. I like tapas because you can get as much or as little as you want.

“The desserts are particularly theatrical. For me it’s the end of the meal, and it’s the bit people take away with them.

“There is an edible Christmas wreath, which is our festive take on an Eton mess, with meringue, ginger, cinnamon, pomegranate and molasses.

“We are also doing a panettone tiramisu garden, which will be presented as a snowy garden scene and will feature meringue mushrooms and edible snow and flowers. Those are the two that are probably the most Instagrammable.”

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The December residency will offer additional dining options at the busy hotel and is aimed at Harrogate residents, as well as guests.

The tipi, which can hold up to 38 people, opened on July 4 last year as a result of covid dining restrictions, and has now become a permanent fixture due to its popularity.

The Tipi on the Stray at Harrogate’s Cedar Court Hotel.

Jo, whose passion for tapas has inspired the menu, said:

“Tapas has been my kind of thing or a long time. When friends come over it’s just nice to have one of those sociable ways to eat, so it’s something I have always cooked. We thought it would be fun as it’s a nice casual atmosphere in the tipi. It lends itself really well to that style of dining.”

• Spaces are starting to fill up so booking is advised. You can book your table here.

Knaresborough viaduct is one of the most photographed places in the Harrogate district.

The viaduct, which crosses the River Nidd, has stood for 170 years and is a magnet for photographers.

But it is less commonly captured from the sky, as Darren Leeming achieved with this photograph when he flew a drone over the site this week.

St John the Baptist church can also be seen.

Mr Leeming, from Starbeck, also took this drone photo of the Stray from Wetherby Road.

The Stray by Darren Leeming

You can see more of his drone photography on Facebook here or on YouTube here.

Harrogate Borough Council has vowed to replace missing and damaged signs that warn drivers not to park on the Stray.

The signs went up in September in response to concerns that parked cars were regularly straddling the cycle lane and the Stray on Oatlands Drive.

The signs say this is a breach of the Stray Act and could result in a £100 fine.

Harrogate District Cycle Action welcomed the move and the council and the Stray Defence Association hoped the move would prevent tyre damage on Stray land.

However, soon after the signs appeared the Stray Ferret published pictures of motorists ignoring them and cars have continued to line the Stray as before, most commonly at weekends when activities like football take place.

Read more:

• New signs will ‘make people think twice’ about parking on Stray, says council
• Cycle group welcomes new ‘no parking’ signs on Harrogate’s Oatlands Drive
• Drivers defy new ‘no parking’ signs on Harrogate Stray
• Stray Views: Double yellow lines would solve Stray parking problems instantly

Despite the evidence, the council told the Stray Ferret it had not yet handed out any fines for breaches.

A council spokesperson said:

“The signage on Oatlands Drive, that reminds people not to park on the Stray, will be reinstated as we continue to work with the county council to try and find a more permanent solution.

“To date, no fines have been issued.”

It is unclear if the signs have been vandalised or fallen over. But some of the dozen installed are damaged and strewn on the other side of the road.

Some of the signs are damaged.

Bonfire night is fast approaching so we have compiled a list of events coming up this weekend in the Harrogate district.

Bonfires in Masham and Bilton were cancelled this year but we have still managed to find nine that are due to go ahead either on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

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 and we will add you to the list.

Friday 5th November

Knaresborough Cricket Club Fireworks Night

Where: Aspin Lane, Knaresborough, HG5 8EP

When: 6:15pm start, 7pm firework display

Tickets: adult £2, concessions £1

Aspin Park Academy, Knaresborough

Where: School grounds, parking on Manse Lane, Knaresborough

When: 5pm 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

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

Timings: Gates open 5pm

Tickets: Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

Tockwith & District Agricultural Society Annual Bonfire & Firework Display

Where: Show field, Cattle Moor Lane, Tockwith, YO26 7QH

Timings: 6pm start, 6:30pm fire lit, 7pm fireworks

Tickets: 13 and over £5, under 13s free

The Tockwith event is back.

Saturday 6th November

50th Annual Stray Bonfire, Harrogate Roundtable

Where: The Stray, Harrogate, HG1 1BJ

When: 6pm start, 6:30pm fire lit, 7pm fireworks

Tickets: free entry, donations welcome

Upper Nidderdale Scouts Group Pateley Bonfire

Where: Pateley Bridge Showground

When: 5:30pm bonfire lit, 7pm fireworks

Tickets: free entry, donations welcome

Wath and Melmerby Community Bonfire

Where: Roger Clarke Motor Engineers, The Sidings, Melmerby, HG4 5EX

When: 6pm bonfire lit, 7pm fireworks

Tickets: £5 per family

Sunday 7th November

Staveley Arms Bonfire

Where: The Staveley Arms, Greenfields, North Stainley, Ripon, HG4 3HT

When: 4pm-6pm

Tickets: £3 per person

Swinton Bivouac Quiet 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

Starbeck Community Firework Night – Harrogate Railway Sports and Social Club, Friends of Starbeck School

Where: Harrogate Railway Sports & Social Club, Station View, Starbeck, HG2 7JA

When: 5pm start, 6:30pm fireworks

Tickets: under 5’s free, 5 to 15’s £1, over 16’s £2