Lancashire Stray contractors referred to as ‘local suppliers’

New documents show that Harrogate Borough Council referred to contractors tasked with restoring the Stray as a “local supplier”, despite being based in Lancashire.

Borough council officials awarded Glendale Services the contract for the Stray back in April – seven months after the UCI World Cycling Championships.

As revealed by the Stray Ferret in May, the contract, worth an estimated £40,926.29, was handed to the company under “urgent circumstances”.

Now, local Liberal Democrat councillors have criticised the council for “denying the opportunity” to local firms to tender for the work.

A previously exempt document before the council’s cabinet member for environment on May 29 stated that the authority had “engaged with a local supplier” to carry out the works.

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Glendale Services, which is based 65 miles away in Chorley, began work on site which was met with fierce criticism from local suppliers. At the time, Mark Smith, managing director of local contractor HACS, said he was “disgusted” with the decision.

Geoff Webber, Liberal Democrat councillor on North Yorkshire County Council, said he was disappointed that the contract did not go out to tender:

He said:

“The report now shows that they accepted the recommendation to award the contract to Glendale on the basis that it was a ‘local supplier’.

“I find it incredible that Chorley, only eight miles north of Wigan, is considered to be local. So much for supporting local businesses.”

The Stray starts to turn green

Grass has started to show on West Park Stray since the reseeding work.

Glendale has carried out groundworks elsewhere in Yorkshire, including at Kirklees College in Huddersfield.

But senior councillors have insisted that the company has offices in the county.

Cllr Andrew Paraskos, cabinet member for environment at the authority, told a full council meeting last week that the council had to bring in a contractor because the authority did not have the equipment to do it in-house.

“We always had to bring in outside contractors to do it.

“The drainage was done by a company out at Green Hammerton way and the other contractors do have local offices

“The rumours that we contracted it out to outside bodies, even though one of them has a head office in Lancashire, they do have a local office in the district.”

It comes as the council expects the overall works to the Stray to cost  £129,971:

Yorkshire 2019, the organisers of the UCI, has agreed to pay £35,500 to help restore the Stray.

Stray exchange land identified for cycle route

Harrogate Borough Council is set to consult on three plots of land to be designated the Stray as part of a land swap to make way for the Otley Road Cycle Route.

The building of the cycle route means that verges classed as Stray land have to be removed. As part of the Stray Act, a suitable plot of land must be offered in exchange.

The council will now consult on the three areas of land before settling on one to exchange.

The three areas identified are:

Senior councillors on the borough council’s cabinet are expected to approve the public consultation on Wednesday.

It comes as North Yorkshire County Council’s looks to press ahead with a multi-million cycle route on the stretch of road between Harlow Moor Road and Beech Grove.

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The scheme has been marred by delays and, with less than a mile of the route being built, the county council has been criticised over a “lack of ambition”.

Now, highways bosses will hope that the consultation will lead to a solution to its latest stumbling block and prevent any further setbacks.

The preferred area of land outlined in Harrogate Borough Council documents earmarked to be exchanged as part of the Otley Road cycle route.

Lengthy negotiations with the Duchy of Lancaster over the use of Stray land on the footpaths and verges between Cold Bath Road and Beech Grove delayed the second phase of the project from going ahead.

The borough council’s preferred option would see a plot of land behind Harrogate District Hospital which adjoins the end of Willaston Road offered in exchange.

While the land has a covenant which states that it is intended for recreational and open space, the council said it would not prevent it from being used as exchange land.

However, the Stray Defence Association (SDA) raised concern over the amenity value of the second and third options outlined by the council.

Judy D’Arcy Thompson from the SDA said:

“Land taken from the Stray to build roads, footpaths etc remains forever Stray land, belonging ultimately to the Crown.

“However, as everything on the surface of the Stray belongs to the people of Harrogate, any land utilised for any purpose must be given back to Harrogate’s people as ‘payback land and be of the same amenity value to them as their original Stray.

“What concerns us about the latest proposals from HBC and NYCC is just that. Of what ‘amenity value’ are the verges along Arthurs Avenue and St James Drive going to be for local people?

“Are people going to picnic there, sit and read a book there, play football, cricket, or any other game there? We think not. Therefore, what actual ‘amenity value’ does the land being offered have?”

Police admit its response to Stray gatherings ‘not 100% right’

North Yorkshire Police has admitted it did not get its response to a large gathering and drug use on the Stray last month “100% right”.

It comes as hundreds of people gathered on the Stray last month where police found canisters of laughing gas and empty takeaway boxes and beer bottles in what was described as a “festival atmosphere”.

Now, Steve Thomas, detective superintendent at North Yorkshire Police and commander for Harrogate, has said the force did not “get to grips” on the gathering quickly enough.

He apologised to councillors on a Harrogate Borough Council scrutiny committee for the initial response but added the force will now respond earlier to such incidents.

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He said:

“I’m really sorry that we were not able to get to grips with it in time for it not to affect the people that reported it to us.

“I was working on the evening that it happened and as soon as we were aware, we deployed through the force control room additional resources.

“Unfortunately, once you get a gathering of that size, it is a question of trying to engage as best as possible and trying to encourage them to remove litter in a sensible way.

“It was quite difficult and I’m not saying that we got that entirely right but we certainly learned from it.

“What we did from that point onwards is increase our patrol strategy to make sure that we were earlier to engage with the groups rather than letting it get either too big or too much alcohol consumed.”

Since the incident, police have sought to educate on the use of laughing gas and issued a warning after finding an “awful lot” of canisters.

Steve Thomas, detective superintendent at North Yorkshire Police (middle right), answered questions from Harrogate Borough Council’s scrutiny committee.

Speaking about the dangers of inhaling the gas, Sergeant Heidi Lewis, children & young people engagement officer, said:

“People may believe that because this gas is widely available and easily purchased, that it is harmless. However, inhaling this gas can lead to unconsciousness and ultimately suffocation, as the body is essentially starved of oxygen.

So when you know the risks irresponsible use of this gas poses, it’s not so much of a laugh is it?”

Early morning rant alert. Part 1 of 2 #Harrogate #Stray #Sunshine pic.twitter.com/nDyqaC9eF3

— Sgt Paul Cording BEM (@OscarRomeo1268) June 25, 2020

Following the gathering, volunteers and council staff cleaned up the Stray with one describing it as the “biggest mess in six years”.

It comes as North Yorkshire Police still tops forces across the country for the most coronavirus fines handed out since March.

The force handed out a total of 1,171 fines to people breaching coronavirus regulations up to June 22 with the majority of the fines issued to people visiting the county’s beauty spots.

Officers said most visitors had come from West Yorkshire to the county.

West Park Stray: Green shoots of recovery after months of mud

The West Park Stray has started to turn green again after months of mud. The sight of green shoots will be welcome for many who have missed the space.

Harrogate Borough Council started reseeding work just over a week ago and the results are already starting to show.

The work is set to be complete by September. The council’s leader promised that it will be back “better than ever.”

The Stray starts to turn green

The grass is starting to show.

West Park Stray remains closed off with orange netting around the site. It allows for the seeds to germinate and also for the footpath repairs.

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Overall, the council believes that the works will cost £129,971, broken down into:

The Stray in late April.

The Stray starts to turn green

Most of West Park Stray is turning green.

Yorkshire 2019, the organisers of the UCI World Cycling Championships, has agreed to pay £35,500 to help restore the Stray.

The council’s decision to outsource to Glendale Services was met with fierce criticism from local contractors who said they were “disgusted” they weren’t invited to tender.

It awarded the contract to the Lancashire-based contractors under “urgent circumstances” seven months after the UCI.

Police crackdown as vandals pull up trees on the Stray

Vandals have pulled up young trees on the Stray in the evening that police officers cracked down on large groups.

Community police officers tried to disperse some of the larger groups yesterday and reminded them of the social distancing guidelines.

Some rebutted the officers and claimed that they were all in different groups of six or that they were all from the same family.

The levels of litter this morning were not close to the mounds of rubbish left the day before. A new problem has emerged this morning but it is unclear who is responsible.

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Judy d’Arcy Thompson from the Stray Defence Association (SDA) said this morning that the uprooting of trees just adds to the “horrendous destruction.”

“We now seem to have marauding gangs of youths wreaking mayhem on our Stray. The drunken, lewd and downright disgusting behaviour is going on all night every night. There seems to be no limit to what they will do or how disgusting their behaviour can become.”

Police dispersed groups on the Stray yesterday evening.

Police dispersed groups on the Stray yesterday evening.

She added that the SDA has seen reports of mass gatherings, drug-taking and dealing on a huge scale as well as youngsters urinating and defecating.

An SDA committee member Guy Tweedy had planted the trees in memory of several people.

The Stray Ferret has approached both Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire Police for a comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Drugs on the Stray: Police find ‘awful lot’ of gas canisters

North Yorkshire Police has issued a drugs warning after an officer found “an awful lot of” laughing gas canisters on the Stray.

It comes after hundreds gathered on the Stray yesterday in what some described as a festival atmosphere.

Inspector Paul Cording was out on the Stray at 4.30am when he found, among the beer bottles and takeaway boxes, gas canisters.

That discovery has led to a warning from the police directly to young people and their parents.

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Speaking about the dangers of inhaling the gas, Sergeant Heidi Lewis, children & young people engagement officer, said:

“People may believe that because this gas is widely available and easily purchased, that it is harmless. However, inhaling this gas can lead to unconsciousness and ultimately suffocation, as the body is essentially starved of oxygen. So when you know the risks irresponsible use of this gas poses, it’s not so much of a laugh is it?”

The ‘Talk to Frank’ website has more information about the risks of inhaling gas canisters. Find it by clicking or tapping here.

The Stray in disarray: ‘Biggest mess for six years’

Hundreds of young people gathered on the Stray in the sunshine yesterday evening in what some described as a festival atmosphere.

A volunteer who has cleaned the Stray for the last six years described the aftermath this morning as the worst he ever has seen.

His comments came as council workers and volunteers cleaned up the majority of the mess – something which they have been forced to do more regularly in recent weeks.

In amongst the bin bags are empty beer bottles, takeaway boxes, and laughing gas canisters. The grass is also scorched in some areas and there were reports of people using the Stray as a public lavatory.

Beer bottles and empty takeaway boxes.

The Stray Ferret found remnants of waste this morning and spoke to disgruntled locals.

Mike Lewis said that last night’s events have put him off going for his evening strolls on the Stray. He said this morning:

“It’s just vile to see. I don’t have a problem with these young people enjoying themselves but when they leave all of this it is poor. I have been cleaning up the Stray for six years but this is the worst I have ever seen. This is outrageous.”

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He described it as a losing battle and called for tougher punishments for offenders. Those calls are something the Stray Defence Association (SDA) is backing.

There are still remnants from the night before.

Judy d’Arcy Thompson, who is chair of the SDA, told The Stray Ferret:

“Several public spirited people have helped by collecting litter. Sadly, those efforts are swamped by the avalanche of rubbish others leave. It is disgraceful. We are doing our very best to get those in authority to deal with it.”

Roger Hattam was on the Stray last night and took pictures of large groups. He told The Stray Ferret:

“I understand that these are young people trying to have a good time. We just need the council and the police to monitor the situation and talk to them. We need to make sure they aren’t spreading coronavirus to any elderly relatives.”

What are the authorities doing about it?

Harrogate Borough Council has issued a robust response to the litter this morning and labelled those responsible as selfish.

“Unfortunately these people don’t even bother to use any of the many bins provided and just leave rubbish where they were sitting. We are doing what we can with the resources available and have increased our collections to try and manage the problem.”

The council also said that it already spends hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ money every year to pick up litter.

Early morning rant alert. Part 2 of 2. #Litter #Drugs #TalkToFrank #BrokenWindowTheory #Respect #TakeYourLitterHome #RantOver pic.twitter.com/PaCDuK6ana

— Sgt Paul Cording BEM (@OscarRomeo1268) June 25, 2020

North Yorkshire Police inspector Paul Cording was out on the Stray at 4.30am today. He posted a video on Twitter where he described it as “the morning after the night before”.

“It is absolutely strewn with litter. There’s even some clear plastic zip bags and an awful lot of laughing gas canisters. The other thing I would describe is broken window theory. If one person thinks it’s okay to drop litter then everyone else will as well.”

‘Well done lads’: Harrogate men win praise for cleaning the Stray

A group of four young men has won lots of praise for cleaning up rubbish on the Stray this weekend.

Dan and Tom Locke as well as Jack Wignall and James Wilson have been using the area to play football and frisbee during the lockdown.

In recent days they have noticed people leaving more and more rubbish on the Stray so decided to take action on Saturday evening.

The group managed to fill around five bin bags with rubbish by riding their bikes around for about three hours.

Hannah Lee Skinner came across the group on Saturday. She posted a picture of them online, where hundreds commented to call them heroes.

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Tom Locke, who is 22-years-old and works at Newnham Street Garage, told The Stray Ferret:

“We just want people to consider the others and the environment more. I have been starting to notice that small changes can make a big difference. Hopefully people will follow our lead or at least pick up their own rubbish. It wasn’t too difficult to do, we had a laugh.”

He added that people were very appreciative on the Stray but when he asked them to help out they would say that it wasn’t their rubbish.

This really MUST stop. Why do people, sadly especially the young ones, leave their garbage behind them?
Please , please use the bins and also take your litter home. pic.twitter.com/S1EDcAGOtl

— Stray Defence (@StrayDefence) June 18, 2020

The Stray Defence Association (SDA) recently called for people to take their litter home after finding empty beer bottles, sweet wrappers and leftover takeaway food.

Litter has been an increasing problem in recent days with pleasant weather and the lockdown leading to more people meeting up on the Stray.

Harrogate Borough Council has welcomed more people using the district’s parks but added that people should dispose of their rubbish correctly.

Council Stray repairs contract given under ‘urgent circumstances’

A controversial council decision to bring in Lancashire based contractors to restore West Park Stray was made under “urgent circumstances” – seven months after the UCI World Cycling Championships.

Details seen by The Stray Ferret show the six-month contract handed to Glendale Services is worth an estimated £40,926.29 and was a direct appointment by the council in April, meaning it was not put out to competitive tender.

At the time, the decision to outsource to Glendale was met with fierce criticism from local contractors who said they were “absolutely disgusted” that they weren’t invited to tender for the work.

Harrogate Borough Council brought in the Chorley-based company to restore the Stray which was left with a £130,000 repair bill following the cycling championships.

Glendale have since started reseeding work, which council bosses say will be complete by September.

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Liberal Democrat county councillor, Geoff Webber, who asked the borough council through a Freedom of Information request about the contract, said he was disappointed that there was no competition for the work.

He said: “It is particularly disappointing to see this contact go to an ‘out of area’ company when the county council has been running a campaign for individuals and businesses to ‘shop local’.  

“I understand that there were at least two reputable local companies who could have carried out this work, possibly cheaper, but were not even given the chance to tender.”

 

Aerial shot of The Stray taken recently yet to be seeded.

Mark Smith, Managing Director of local contractor HACS, described the urgent decision as “rubbish”.

He told The Stray Ferret:

“I’ve never heard of such rubbish in my life. How could an event that happened last Autumn be urgent?

“They had six months from when the damage was done to appoint a contractor. We’ve had the driest spring on record so if a contractor had been appointed earlier they could have hit the ground running and seeded it earlier. Now, they’ve missed the optimum Spring sowing date for grass seed.”

The council expects the overall works to the Stray to cost £129,971:

Yorkshire 2019, the organisers of the UCI, has agreed to pay £35,500 to help restore the Stray.

Harrogate Borough Council has been approached for comment on the urgent decision, but had not responded at the time of publication.

Large groups of young people flout lockdown rules in Stray sunshine

Large groups of young people have gathered on the Stray in the hot weather – breaking existing lockdown restrictions and new the rules that are due come into force.

From Monday, people can meet in groups of up to 6 people in outdoor spaces like parks or private gardens – as long as they remain two metres apart.

The Stray Ferret witnessed many groups of up to 11 young people on the Stray yesterday evening and today who were lying or sitting close together.  There was no police presence at the time these pictures were taken.

North Yorkshire Police have said their officers would be out and about today and

“continue to engage with members of the public, explain the regulations and encourage people to adhere to them, using enforcement as a last resort”.

What’s your experience of being out in the sunshine today? Have you felt people are abiding by the lockdown rules and staying 2m apart? Get in touch: contact@thestrayferret.co.uk  or follow us and comment on social media @TheStrayFerret