Harrogate offers free Saturday parking to boost sales post Xmas

Harrogate shoppers will be able to park for free over the next five Saturdays to give the town centre a post-Christmas boost.

Free parking will be available in the Victoria car park on  January 21 and 28, and February 4, 11 and 18 between 10am and 6pm.  The initiative has been funded by the Harrogate Business Investment District (BID).

It comes after the Christmas  ‘Free after Three’ initiative, where the BID  funded free parking on the first four days of the week from Monday, December 5, until Thursday, January 5, 2023,  to support retailers during the traditionally quieter days of the week.

Harrogate BID Manager Matthew Chapman said:

“This is one of the examples of how Harrogate BID is supporting town centre businesses, in particular those in the retail and hospitality sectors.

“Thanks to the efforts of a number of organisations, including Harrogate BID, businesses in retail and hospitality saw increased sales, including some reporting their best December in many years.

“By providing free parking in Harrogate over the next five Saturdays, we are giving residents and visitors an added incentive to come in to town to shop, eat and drink, to continue the positivity into the new year.

“Eight hours free parking gives people plenty of time to explore the great shops and enjoy a bite to eat in one of our many excellent bars, restaurants and cafes.”

The BID has also sponsored the ‘Sunday Freeway’ during January and February which provides bus passengers with free travel into the town centre on The Harrogate Bus Company’s buses.

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River Island to close in Harrogate as landlord plans apartments

A town centre shop in Harrogate is set to close in just over three weeks’ time.

River Island is holding a closing down sale as it prepares to close its doors on Cambridge Street for the last time on February 4.

A spokesperson for River Island said:

“The closure is due to change of use of the building by the landlord.”

Plans were approved in summer 2020 to refurbish the ground floor of the building and convert the first floor, as well as adding a roof extension, to create 14 apartments. Work would need to begin on the building by June this year to comply with the terms of the planning permission.

The building is owned by a Santander pension fund.

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Last summer, Cosy Club opened in the same stretch of units, becoming the first bar along the street. Sainsbury’s Local and Skipton Building Society also opened branches earlier in the year.

Further east on the same street, plans were approved last February to convert the upper floors of some retail units into flats.

Today, York-based property company Grantside announced it had acquired the 10,000 sq ft building and was intending to use the flats as holiday lets.

Steve Davis, chief executive of Grantside, said:

“This is a great opportunity and a brilliant location – in the heart of Harrogate town centre.

“Our vision for the building is to bring it back into full use through the conversion of the upper floors into apartments, which will be used as holiday accommodation and help the town’s economy.”

Harrogate town centre blaze property converted to residential use

A Harrogate town centre property that was devastated by fire in 2019 has undergone its latest transformation, to residential accommodation. 

Number 28 Beulah Street, in Harrogate, was the epicentre of a blaze four summers ago that ripped through shops and took eight crews of firefighters hours to put out.  

Now, retrospective planning permission has been submitted to Harrogate Borough Council to change the use of the first and second floors from a sandwich shop to a single dwelling.

The ground floor is occupied by a café, Coffee 28, and is not included in the application. 

The application was validated on December 14, 2022, and is awaiting a decision by planning officers. 

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Advent calendar of offers and prizes from Harrogate businesses

Businesses around Harrogate have united to bring a daily offer to shoppers throughout advent and boost town centre trade.

Each day, a new offer or competition will be posted on social media as part of a project organised by Suzanne Vaughan – better known as the director of Enchantica’s.

While she will spend much of the run-up to Christmas dressed as Chief Elf Tinsel at the Harrogate Father Christmas Experience, she will also share the daily offers to support local businesses.

She said:

“We love delivering Christmas magic for families to enjoy but we knew we could do more for the businesses and organisations in our town and that is how the Harrogate (Social Media) Advent Calendar was born.

“Every day in December you will see Father Christmas opening up the advent door and sprinkling festive fun and magic onto a different business or event in Harrogate.

“Each day will see the reveal of a wonderful range of gifts, special offers and prizes for people to enjoy and together, working with all of the businesses and organisations involved, we have all helped each other to share all of the Christmas magic that we all have to offer.

“By working together we can all help each other and together celebrate the wonderful community of businesses and organisations that Harrogate is home to.”

The advent calendar has launched today with a top prize of a £200 Radley handbag from Hoopers on James Street, as well as discounts on fashion and beauty products. Visitors to the shop today also have the chance to win a family pass to Enchantica’s Father Christmas Experience and a family ticket to the pantomime at Harrogate Theatre.

To see each day’s offers as the advent calendar doors are opened, follow Enchantica’s on Instagram or Facebook.

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The Christmas Experience is held every weekend and during the school holidays until Christmas at the Cedar Court Hotel and is supported by Harrogate BID, as part of its efforts to bring people into town to use local businesses.

Simon Cotton, MD of HRH Group, which runs the Yorkshire Hotel and White Hart Hotel, in the town centre, said the advent calendar was a great way to support local businesses at a vital time of year in retail. He added:

“This is a fantastic opportunity for Harrogate and shows just what we can achieve when the community pulls together.

“Christmas is such an important time for everyone in the town and we are happy to support anything that attracts people into the town.”

Residential conversion plan submitted for upper floors of Harrogate estate agency

Plans have been put forward to convert part of a town centre estate agent’s office in Harrogate into a two-bedroom flat.

The premises on Albert Street is occupied by North Residential, previously Knight Frank, but under the proposals part of the first floor and all of the second floor would be changed to residential use.

The prior notification documents submitted to change the use of the premises state that other than a meeting room to the rear, the upper floors have been out of use for some time.

The application states:

“The upper floors of the premises were ceased to be part of the commercial use following the refurbishment of the building at the rear 18 months ago.

“The ground floor floorspace was considered more convenient and offered a high quality meeting room. Since that time, the first and second floors have remained vacant in excess of the three month requirement.”

Access to the upper floors is through the estate agency office on the ground floor. However, the proposals state that a separate application will be made to alter the access and provide a self-contained staircase to the flat.

The plans show it would have a living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom on the first floor, with a second bedroom on the top floor.

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Supporting information submitted with the plans states:

“The proposed scheme looks to preserve and enhance the character of the conservation area through conversion of its first and loft floor, improving the amenity of the building and bringing the upper floors of the building back into use.”

North Residential began trading last month after a management buy-out of the Harrogate branch of Knight Frank, having been operating it in Harrogate for 15 years.

The business will continue in the ground floor of the Albert Street building, along with a first-floor meeting room to the rear.

To view or comment on the application, visit the planning section of Harrogate Borough Council’s website and use reference 22/03448/PCBSR.

Meet Jules B, the big new name on Harrogate’s fashion retail scene

This article is sponsored by Jules B.

Stepping through the doors of Jules B means opening up a world of potential for your wardrobe.

The small yet sought-after brand is opening a brand new luxury designer store in the heart of Harrogate tomorrow.

It is just the fifth bricks-and-mortar shop for the brand, and only its third location: both Jesmond and Kendal have two branches, each dedicated to menswear and womenswear.

Step into Jules B.

On Harrogate’s Cambridge Crescent, the focus will be womenswear, bringing together everything from the latest up-and-coming names to internationally renowned brands including Vivienne Westwood.

The beauty of Jules B is that it retains the feel of an independent boutique, and is still run by its founders, Julian and Rhona Blades.

Their influence in the business is as strong as ever, ensuring the best garments and accessories are sourced and brought together in a comprehensive collection that’s just right for Harrogate shoppers.

The store with a boutique feel.

Julian said:

“Each of our destination stores is located in a beautiful area that’s been carefully selected to fit the Jules B brand, and Harrogate is no different.

“The location of the new store is just right for us: in a beautiful historic building, close to the iconic Bettys and on the doorstep of the stunning Stray.

“We’re enjoying transforming the two floors into the perfect retail space for our customers and can’t wait to welcome them inside for the first time.”

Having founded the business in 1984, the couple have kept to their vision of a new, intelligent approach to womenswear.

Their original boutique in the trendy Newcastle suburb of Jesmond still stands, and though physical expansion into new premises has been deliberately low, the brand now sells extensively online.

The store stocks big and up and coming brands.

Its website has been running since 2008 – but Harrogate residents and visitors are fortunate now to have the opportunity to enjoy the real-life experience of a Jules B visit.

Step through the doorway into a luxuriously stylish and calm environment, a world away from the rush outside. Take advantage of the personal shopping experience to guide you through the latest trends and find the right styles for you.

Harrogate store launch

At the launch event on September 22, visitors will be greeted with a glass of bubbly to make it a retail experience to remember. Designer raffle prizes, gifts with purchases and more will be on offer to tempt you.

Enjoy the special launch event on September 22.

Rhona added:

“Our Harrogate store will have an exclusive range of more than 45 niche and big-name designer brands is available to choose from — the likes of Oska, Holland Cooper, NU London, Rag and Bone, and Barbour International.

“Customers can expect to discover everyday staples like denim and knitwear alongside elegant evening dresses, luxury bags and everything in between.

“We’re proud to stock a wide range of products that you won’t find anywhere else. Our exclusive selection blends on-trend styles and truly timeless pieces, and there’s always something new and exciting to discover.”

Lego Wonderland aims to draw visitors to Harrogate this summer

Children are being invited to hunt around the centre of Harrogate this summer for classic children’s characters with a difference.

An Alice in Wonderland Lego trail is being launched tomorrow, with 15 large characters in locations around the town.

The event has been organised by Harrogate BID and the characters made by Yorkshire charity Fairybricks.

The six builders took six months and more than 514,000 Lego bricks to create the masterpieces, which will be in place until Saturday, August 20.

Matthew Chapman, Harrogate BID manager, said:

“Last year’s Lego trail, featuring a number of well-known Harrogate landmarks, was a huge success, hence its return this summer.

“This time we have gone for an Alice in Wonderland theme, and the models created by the Fairybricks team are simply stunning, and I can’t wait to see them in situ.

“These 15 models haven’t been displayed anywhere before, and after their Harrogate debut they will then be heading off to different events and venues all over the world.”

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The three-week event is designed to bring people into town during the summer, supporting the BID’s levy payers and other businesses in the area.

Sculptures include Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts and the Dormouse, and will be at locations including the Victoria Shopping Centre, the Everyman cinema, the Turkish Baths, and the Harrogate Town FC shop on Commercial Street.

The trail can be downloaded via the LoyalFree app, which is free to download from the App Store or Play Store.

Last year’s Lego trail attracted more than 5,500 people to take part using the app, with others enjoying seeing the sculptures while they were in the town centre.

Mr Chapman added:

“We are really excited to be bringing back the Harrogate Lego Trail. It was certainly one of our highlights of last year, and one that help take visitors into different parts the town.

“And with our ongoing Floral Summer of Celebration – featuring a stunning trail, colourful shop window displays and fascinating exhibition – coupled with brilliant shops, bars, restaurants and beautiful gardens and open parkland, Harrogate town centre really is this summer’s must-visit destination.

“I’d also like to thank all the businesses that are participating in the Alice in Brickland Harrogate Lego Trail, who have made room within their premises to display one of the sculptures.”

Report a Crime and make Harrogate a better place

This story is sponsored by Harrogate BID.

It may seem strange that an organisation dedicated to promoting Harrogate town centre is campaigning to increase its crime levels. 

However, Harrogate BID knows what it is doing and there is method behind its madness. 

BID manager Matthew Chapman said: 

“The statistics showed that the number of crimes is very low in the town centre. 

“While on the face of it this seems like good news, the stats just didn’t match up with what we were hearing from BID members. 

“Shop owners and staff were telling us they were regularly seeing relatively minor crime, but the police figures just didn’t reflect this.” 

Mr Chapman and the team at the BID decided to investigate further.  

The kind of crimes being seen by retailers included anti-social behaviour, often linked to drinking, and what’s termed ‘professional begging’ – people who are not truly homeless and who often don’t live in Harrogate coming into town to take advantage of what they see as a lucrative opportunity to collect money from the public. 

Often, said Mr Chapman, those people went on to use the money to buy drinks and, later in the day, they would commit crimes such as shoplifting. 

Yet the BID investigation found town centre workers often didn’t report the problems they witnessed. 

“People told us they were calling 101 to tell the police and were waiting on hold for half an hour or longer, before they eventually gave up. 

“After a few occasions like that, many said they no longer bothered to report the low-level cases because they just didn’t have the time.  

“Some of the bigger chain shops also let shoplifting go – they have instructions from head office that they don’t need to report every instance. 

“The police statistics aren’t reflecting the reality of the town centre because the control room just isn’t getting to hear about it.” 

As a result, the BID has launched a campaign to encourage people to report every instance of crime they see across the town centre. 

Recognising employees’ time is valuable, the BID has highlighted the fact that crime can be reported via the 101 page on the North Yorkshire Police website. 

It takes just five minutes, said Mr Chapman, and will generate a crime number and add the incident to the official police log. 

He said: 

“We’ve been told the best way to get the police to respond to things is to increase the numbers of crimes.  

“Officers say they can’t do anything if nobody has reported a problem. Every avenue we went down, it always came back to needing more reports. 

“They are an evidence-based organisation that works with data. The more crimes they see are being committed, the more resource they will put into an area. 

“So we’re asking everyone to report every crime they see, no matter how minor it may be. In six months’ time, we’ll go back to the police and see how the numbers are looking.” 

Mr Chapman said the BID hopes the result will be a significant increase in the crime statistics for the town centre – which in turn will encourage more police resources to be directed towards it. 

He added: 

“We recognise Harrogate is far from one of the worst places in the world, but it’s not immune from the problems every other town and city centre has.

“We want to make sure we stay on top of these relatively minor issues so they don’t become worse and they don’t detract from all the things that make Harrogate a great place to live, work and visit.”

To report a crime to North Yorkshire Police, visit the dedicated reporting section of its website.

BID launches campaign to increase reporting of crime in Harrogate town centre

A campaign has been launched to help a business organisation get a better picture of how crime affects Harrogate town centre.

Harrogate BID‘s Report a Crime campaign is calling on businesses, residents and visitors to report all crimes and anti-social behaviour via North Yorkshire Police’s website.

The organisation’s manager, Matthew Chapman, said:

“First and foremost I want to say Harrogate is a safe, welcoming and clean town. However, we hear regular stories from town centre traders of anti-social activity, including shoplifting, vandalism and drug abuse.

“In order to get a true picture, we are asking those who are either victims of a crime, or witness incidents, to report it online.

“Unlike calling 101 and then hanging up after several minutes, this means every incident is logged. This way, we can get a true picture of what is happening in the town.”

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe with Harrogate BID manager Matthew ChapmanPolice, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe with Harrogate BID manager Matthew Chapman

The new campaign is being backed by Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, whose chief executive David Simister said:

“Harrogate is a fantastic town to live and work, but when it comes to crime it’s not immune.

“However, the fear of crime is often worse than perception, but it’s important we get a proper understanding of what is happening – or not happening – in our town centre, hence us giving our backing to this campaign.

“In the past I’ve called 101 and after waiting many minutes I’ve simply put the phone down. And by doing this, an incident has gone unreported. In future, report it online and that way it is logged and recorded.”

It follows a meeting between Mr Chapman and North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe, when he raised BID members’ concerns about a lack of visible policing.

Mr Chapman said the commissioner told him police chiefs rely on statistics in order to prioritise resources and, if crimes go unreported, police are unable to give the right resources to the affected areas.

She urged him to encourage all BID levy payers and others to use online reporting to ensure all incidents were being passed to police.

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Among the levy payers backing the campaign is Justin Sutter, business manager at John Atherton’s, which trades at McDonalds on Cambridge Street, who said:

“We are backing the report a crime campaign because the safety and security of our people and customers is of the utmost importance to us. We hope that we can continue to support North Yorkshire Police with this campaign and be a part of creating safer communities.”

The campaign not only runs during daytime hours, but extends to evening and night-time trading. Alan Huddart, secretary of Harrogate Pubwatch, said:

“Thanks to the BID’s support of Pubwatch and the introduction of the app, we are able to alert those in the scheme immediately to any issues.

“At the same time, I would also ask not just our members, but all licensed premises, to register any incident online, ensuring the police have a proper record of it.

“Harrogate is a great night out, and we want to make sure it stays that way by having adequate policing.”

Mixed picture for Harrogate town centre as jubilee celebrations end

The jubilee weekend may have been one of celebrations for communities but it was a mixed picture for businesses in Harrogate town centre.

The Harrogate Tea Rooms in the Westminster Arcade was among those to say the jubilee did not prove to be a recipe for success as it had its worst ever Saturday, after 10 years in business.

Tony Wilkinson, who owns the business with his wife Carrie, told the Stray Ferret:

“We had a good Friday and the Thursday was OK too. But Saturday was 70% lower than normal.

“We did open on Sunday, which we don’t usually, but it was very quiet.”

Despite support from customers on social media, even the celebratory high tea menu was not enough to draw patrons away from events elsewhere.

Not sure about where all the events were, but for us that was our worst Saturday EVER!!!

— The Harrogate Tea Rooms (@HarrogateTeaRms) June 5, 2022

Around the corner at Baltzersen’s on Oxford Street, Saturday and Sunday also proved to be quiet. However, owner Paul Rawlinson was philosophical:

“We’ve served a lot of guests and hopefully delivered a positive experience for everyone that chose to visit us. We appreciate the ongoing support of families in Harrogate and Wetherby.

“In terms of the business, we saw a hugely increased demand on Thursday and Friday but recorded quietest weekend days of the last six months over the weekend.

“Weather will have been a factor and the end of the school half-term holidays can often lead to a quieter weekends too. The differences largely cancelled each other out so in many ways it was business as usual.”

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At food retailer Cook on West Park, trade was also slow across the weekend. However, shop leader Mike Jarvis said the previous few days had been extremely busy as people stocked up ready for the bank holiday.

“We had such a big surge from Monday to Wednesday. Home deliveries were up for us too.

“We do a lot of buffet food and we had coronation chicken and Eton mess parfait – all good things for street parties.”

Working across the company’s shops in Harrogate and Moortown, Mr Jarvis said the picture was similar, as it was at Cook branches around the country.

Harry Gration opens the Little Bird Artisan Market for the Queen’s platinum jubilee in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens

Among those who did very well during the jubilee weekend itself were the traders at Little Bird Artisan Markets, which had events in Knaresborough and in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens. Managing director Jackie Crozier said:

“We are absolutely delighted with how the platinum jubilee celebrations have gone over the weekend. We have delivered seven events over four days including Knaresborough and, of course, Harrogate for three days.

“I have lost count of the amount of traders who have said they have had their best trading day ever.

“This weekend was just what the country needed and especially our artisan traders. It was so wonderful to be part of so many events working alongside local councils.

“As we have our regular artisan market on the first Sunday of the month in Valley Gardens, it was great to see so many of our regular customers returning.”

The weekend was also a success for the Harrogate Bus Company. Partnering with Harrogate BID, it offered free travel on its electric services between the town centre and Jennyfield, Harlow Hill and Bilton.

Managing director Alex Hornby tweeted that passenger numbers were significantly up on previous comparable dates.

⚡️ Amazing news following a busy #PlatinumJubilee in Harrogate: our #JubileeFreeway of free buses on #HarrogateElectrics saw:

⬆️ Thu +25% more customers than May Day
⬆️ Fri +51% v May Day
⬆️ Sat +60% above average of last three Sats
⬆️ Sun +34% above average of last three Suns pic.twitter.com/GGpzk6umGc

— Alex Hornby (@alexhornbybus) June 6, 2022

Matthew Chapman, manager of Harrogate BID which also helped to organise the Jubilee Square events on Montpellier Hill, said:

“I was in town every day of the celebrations and there were certainly plenty of people around.

“Each of four days of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations saw thousands of people visit Jubilee Square.

“We deliberately didn’t have any food and drink concessions at Jubilee Square, as we hoped those coming to it would go into town either before, or after, and patronise our pubs, bars and restaurants – which they did!

“The ‘Jubilee Freeway’ brought passengers travelling on electric buses into town for free on Thursday through to Sunday, and the numbers riding these buses was significantly more than for previous bank holidays and the last three weekends.

“We also had street entertainers on three of the four days, which were very well receive, and again gave people another reason to come into town.”