Storm Arwen’s impact is still being felt with more than 700 homes still without power, some since Friday.

According to a live map organised by Northern Powergrid, the company responsible for the electricity distribution network across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, more than 700 homes are without power.

The areas most affected are the HG3 and HG4 postcode, particularly Birstwith, Hampsthwaite and Spofforth.

We will keeping this live blog full of updates as we get them.

Have you been affected by the storm? Please send updates on the situation where you live to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk with a description of what has happened, where and any pictures.

1.50pm – Phone signal drops in Summerbridge

Reports of a loss of phone signal are still coming from outlying villages such as Summerbridge.

One Stray Ferret reader got in touch to say she lost phone signal around midday today, her colleagues are also without.

Similar reports came in after Friday night’s bad weather, the situation with signal and power to homes looks to be ongoing.

7.15am – Local resident books in to hotel due to lack of power at home

A Stray Ferret reader has got in touch to say after having no heating or hot water and being unable to cook since Friday evening left her choosing to book into a hotel.

She has called on Northern Powergrid to make updates more specific so she can see the progress on works affecting her.

November 29

7.05am – Northern Powergrid said it is still working to restore power to homes 

Northern Powergrid, the company responsible for the electricity distribution network across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, tweeted overnight to say its engineers were working through the night to try and restore power to homes still without.

Our teams are working into the night and engineers from across the UK are ready to support our continued response to #StormArwen

Read more – https://t.co/1rrcpUqWAs

— Northern Powergrid (@Northpowergrid) November 29, 2021

Yesterday, it told customers they may be “off supply for long periods” due to some areas needing intensive work. It has said all planned work has been postponed so teams can focus on getting customers back on supply.

3.17pm – North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum update

North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which coordinates the country’s emergency response to incidents, says “emergency services, councils and utilities services continue to work together across North Yorkshire to deal with the aftermath of Storm Arwen”.

The update adds:

“Whilst the strong winds have dropped, some homes and business are still being affected and there remain issues with snow and ice across much of the county.

“Northern Powergrid continues to work to restore power to homes and businesses in the area.  We know, however, that some homes in parts of North Yorkshire continue to be affected.

“The Northern Powergrid website has details of when affected areas are likely to have power restored – www.northernpowergrid.com – using a live interactive map.”

Speaking on behalf of the forum, Neil Irving said:

“With an issue like this storm and the wintry weather that’s followed, it’s really important that we work together closely to make sure that those who need help are able to get it.

“Our joint response across emergency services, organisations delivering important infrastructure, and local councils providing support to people, mean that we’ve been able to combine and target our help more effectively.”

2.29pm – Weather warning for ice begins at 3pm

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for ice in the Harrogate district.

The warning comes into force at 3pm today and ends at 10am tomorrow.

Temperatures are forecast to fall to about freezing tonight in Harrogate but in remote areas, such as Greenhow Hill, it will feel like minus eight degrees centigrade.

The Met Office says:

• Probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths, making accidents more likely and journey times longer.
• Icy surfaces likely, increasing the risk of slips and falls.

1.51pm – Northern Powergrid update: 40,000 homes still affected

Northern Powergrid, the company responsible for the electricity distribution network across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, has issued another update saying this is the largest storm to affect its network for 15 years.

It says power has been restored to 200,000 of 240,000 homes that suffered loss of supply. It is drafting in engineers from Northern Ireland Electricity and UKPN to resolve outstanding problems.

In a statement, it said:

“All resources available are deployed, including contractors, and the network operator, as part of an industry mutual aid agreement, has also secured additional teams from other UK network operators to bolster its response and assist with the complex permanent repairs needed following the impact of the storm.

“With more than 700 (of 1,100) incidents still to address, there is a huge amount of work to be completed. Many of the faults will require intensive work and are localised with smaller numbers of customers associated, which means some customers will remain off supply for long periods as the network operator works through this programme.

“Northern Powergrid’s teams are identifying those at risk of being off supply for more than another 24 hours so customers can make alternative arrangements.”

Rod Gardner, Northern Powergrid’s major incident manager, said:

“The storm was well forecasted and despite being prepared, Storm Arwen resulted in damage of a scale and intensity not seen for 15 years.

“We’re sorry that some customers are still without power despite the huge effort by our colleagues. We understand the impact this has on peoples’ lives particularly at this time of year.

He said the company was unable to keep pace with requests for info, adding:

“We pride ourselves on being able to keep our customers informed and we are doing everything possible to keep people updated using all available channels including social media. We’re sorry for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to address this.”

1.46pm – Power problems persist in Beckwithshaw

Reader Katharine Thompson informs us power has not returned to some homes in Shawfield Head in HG3

“We are only getting pre-recorded messages from Northern Powergrid when we ring their number despite being told we will get text updates.

“The last message said there were 54 houses in this postcode and 2 Leeds postcodes still without power. They estimate supply will be returned by midnight tonight but we are not holding out much hope.”

Storm Arwen’s impact is still being felt with more than 700 homes still without power, some since Friday.

According to a live map organised by Northern Powergrid, the company responsible for the electricity distribution network across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, more than 700 homes are without power.

The areas most affected are the HG3 and HG4 postcode, particularly Birstwith, Hampsthwaite and Spofforth.

We will keeping this live blog full of updates as we get them.

Have you been affected by the storm? Please send updates on the situation where you live to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk with a description of what has happened, where and any pictures.

1.50pm – Phone signal drops in Summerbridge

Reports of a loss of phone signal are still coming from outlying villages such as Summerbridge.

One Stray Ferret reader got in touch to say her and her colleagues lost phone signal around midday today.

Similar reports came in after Friday night’s bad weather, the situation with signal and power to homes looks to be ongoing.

7.15am – Local resident books in to hotel due to lack of power at home

A Stray Ferret reader has got in touch to say after having no heating or hot water and being unable to cook since Friday evening left her choosing to book into a hotel.

She has called on Northern Powergrid to make updates more specific so she can see the progress on works affecting her.

7.05am – Northern Powergrid said it is still working to restore power to homes 

Northern Powergrid, the company responsible for the electricity distribution network across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, tweeted overnight to say its engineers were working through the night to try and restore power to homes still without.

Our teams are working into the night and engineers from across the UK are ready to support our continued response to #StormArwen

Read more – https://t.co/1rrcpUqWAs

— Northern Powergrid (@Northpowergrid) November 29, 2021

Yesterday, it told customers they may be “off supply for long periods” due to some areas needing intensive work. It has said all planned work has been postponed so teams can focus on getting customers back on supply.

3.17pm – North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum update

North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which coordinates the country’s emergency response to incidents, says “emergency services, councils and utilities services continue to work together across North Yorkshire to deal with the aftermath of Storm Arwen”.

The update adds:

“Whilst the strong winds have dropped, some homes and business are still being affected and there remain issues with snow and ice across much of the county.

“Northern Powergrid continues to work to restore power to homes and businesses in the area.  We know, however, that some homes in parts of North Yorkshire continue to be affected.

“The Northern Powergrid website has details of when affected areas are likely to have power restored – www.northernpowergrid.com – using a live interactive map.”

Speaking on behalf of the forum, Neil Irving said:

“With an issue like this storm and the wintry weather that’s followed, it’s really important that we work together closely to make sure that those who need help are able to get it.

“Our joint response across emergency services, organisations delivering important infrastructure, and local councils providing support to people, mean that we’ve been able to combine and target our help more effectively.”

2.29pm – Weather warning for ice begins at 3pm

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for ice in the Harrogate district.

The warning comes into force at 3pm today and ends at 10am tomorrow.

Temperatures are forecast to fall to about freezing tonight in Harrogate but in remote areas, such as Greenhow Hill, it will feel like minus eight degrees centigrade.

The Met Office says:

• Probably some icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths, making accidents more likely and journey times longer.
• Icy surfaces likely, increasing the risk of slips and falls.

1.51pm – Northern Powergrid update: 40,000 homes still affected

Northern Powergrid, the company responsible for the electricity distribution network across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, has issued another update saying this is the largest storm to affect its network for 15 years.

It says power has been restored to 200,000 of 240,000 homes that suffered loss of supply. It is drafting in engineers from Northern Ireland Electricity and UKPN to resolve outstanding problems.

In a statement, it said:

“All resources available are deployed, including contractors, and the network operator, as part of an industry mutual aid agreement, has also secured additional teams from other UK network operators to bolster its response and assist with the complex permanent repairs needed following the impact of the storm.

“With more than 700 (of 1,100) incidents still to address, there is a huge amount of work to be completed. Many of the faults will require intensive work and are localised with smaller numbers of customers associated, which means some customers will remain off supply for long periods as the network operator works through this programme.

“Northern Powergrid’s teams are identifying those at risk of being off supply for more than another 24 hours so customers can make alternative arrangements.”

Rod Gardner, Northern Powergrid’s major incident manager, said:

“The storm was well forecasted and despite being prepared, Storm Arwen resulted in damage of a scale and intensity not seen for 15 years.

“We’re sorry that some customers are still without power despite the huge effort by our colleagues. We understand the impact this has on peoples’ lives particularly at this time of year.

He said the company was unable to keep pace with requests for info, adding:

“We pride ourselves on being able to keep our customers informed and we are doing everything possible to keep people updated using all available channels including social media. We’re sorry for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to address this.”

1.46pm – Power problems persist in Beckwithshaw

Reader Katharine Thompson informs us power has not returned to some homes in Shawfield Head in HG3

“We are only getting pre-recorded messages from Northern Powergrid when we ring their number despite being told we will get text updates.

“The last message said there were 54 houses in this postcode and 2 Leeds postcodes still without power. They estimate supply will be returned by midnight tonight but we are not holding out much hope.”

1.24pm – Yorkshire Water update

https://twitter.com/YorkshireWater/status/1464946526707453952

1.13pm – Power returns to Washburn Valley

Victoria Oldham, the Conservative councillor for Washburn Valley, has messaged to say that power has returned to Washburn Valley.

It had seemed like a long, cold, snowy day was in store for residents after Northern Powergrid advised power was likely to be off all day so this news will be most welcome on this bitterly cold November day.

Is anywhere in the Harrogate district still without power? Email us at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

11.51am – Northern Powergrid deploys customer support vehicle

Unfortunately the vehicle is in Wooler town centre in Northumberland. Many people are struggling for updates on the situation where they live so as welcome as this is for people further north, it means the waiting continues for local people still without power.

Our Customer Support Vehicle is outside the Black Bull in #Wooler.
Joe and John from Team Powergrid are providing hot drinks, bottled water, flasks with hot water and winter warmer packs for those with out power.

'

— Northern Powergrid (@Northpowergrid) November 28, 2021

10.18am – Washburn Valley expected to be without power until midnight

Victoria Oldham, the Conservative councillor for Washburn Valley, has tweeted that her ward is likely to be without power until midnight.

This is bad news for people in Dob Park, Norwood, North Rigton, Low Snowdon, Fewston, Blubberhouses and the villages in between.

Please keep us informed with the situation in your area by emailing contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

So the latest news from @Northpowergrid is that electricity will be restored by midnight in the Washburn Valley. It has been off since 10p.m. on Friday.
The landline has died, but at least the mobile signal is back. Happy Sunday everyone.

— Victoria Oldham (@VictoriaOldham4) November 28, 2021

9.47am – Power restored to another 8,000 homes

Northern Powergrid has just issued another update. That means about 50,000 homes are still affected.

We've restored power to a further 8,000 customers. Our teams continue to do all we can to safely restore power following significant damage to our network by #StormArwen pic.twitter.com/6d0YkZRO0R

— Northern Powergrid (@Northpowergrid) November 28, 2021

9.16am – 58,000 homes still without power

An overnight update by Northern Powergrid revealed it had restored power to around 182,000 of some 240,000 homes and businesses whose supplies were affected by Storm Arwen. It added it hoped to “restore power to the 58,000 customers still affected as soon as we can”.

It is not known how many of those affected are in the Harrogate district, with many people reporting on social media they have been unable to get through to Northern Powergrid for further information.

The company’s update said it was responding to 700 of some 900 instances of damage. It added:

“Today has been one of the most challenging we have seen in over a decade with our teams being unable to safely climb for over 24 hours, due to the storm force winds.  Although this has been frustrating, safety of our people is paramount. We have focused our efforts on work which could be completed to assess the scale of damage and response needed to repair the network.

“The storm has caused varying degrees of damage across the whole of our operating area, with the North East region taking the brunt of the storm. Fallen trees and flying debris have damaged electricity infrastructure in numerous locations and travel conditions remain challenging in some places.

“Our customer support vehicles have been deployed in communities, wherever possible, to support customers and we continue to work with the British Red Cross and multi-agency partners to support those most vulnerable.

“If weather conditions remain as forecasted, from first light we will use our helicopter to spot damage locations and inform its teams on the ground.

“Please remember that anyone who spots any damaged cables or equipment must not approach the area as equipment may still be live and pose a risk of electrocution but should contact us immediately by calling 105.”

8.26pm – Northern Powergrid urges people without power to ‘seek alternative accommodation’

It is still unclear how many people in the Harrogate district are without power but those that are have been told not to expect it to return tonight.

Northern Powergrid has said problems are expected to persist ‘through the night and into tomorrow’. Not the best news with temperatures in the district forecast to fall to minus three degrees centigrade tonight.

If you are still without power, it is very likely that you will be off through the night and into tomorrow.

If you can seek alternative accommodation with family and friends it is recommended to do so – or if you know someone without power, consider if you can offer support. pic.twitter.com/ppQnxCl4ra

— Northern Powergrid (@Northpowergrid) November 27, 2021

8.19pm – Sun Inn at Norwood forced to close

The pub said on social media:

“We have currently no electric or phone line . We will be unable to serve food this evening as all the staff have gone home after a very long four hours waiting patiently for it to come back on . Hopefully we will be up and running tomorrow.”

7.16pm – No water or low water pressure in HG4

We have received an email from a reader saying there is no water in North Stainley because of power problems at a pumping station. Yorkshire Water has said in a message to residents:

“You may have no water or low pressure in HG4. We will restore supplies as soon as possible. Water may return cloudy or discoloured for an hour or two but this will pass.”

Let us know what the latest situation is there and elsewhere as the Harrogate district recovers from Storm Arwen.

5.50pm – Another fallen tree, this time at Felliscliffe

Reader Alan Peel took this photo at lunchtime today of a fallen tree on Tang Road, between Whitewall Lane and Birstwith Hall. Are many roads still affected by the storms? Please keep us informed of the situation across the Harrogate district by emailing contact@thestrayferret.co.uk/

3.45pm – Harrogate district residents urged to look after each other

The body responsible for responding to emergencies in North Yorkshire has urged residents to pull together in the aftermath of Storm Arwen.

Emergency services at local councils have been working together during the high winds to clear roads and keep people safe.

However, thousands across the Northern Powergrid region remain without power as the storm moves on and temperatures plummet.

North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum has asked for neighbours to invite those vulnerable without power into their homes or make arrangements for alternative accommodation.

Avoid the seafronts. At least one person has been swept out by the waves and rescued off the North Yorkshire coast today.

Inspector Amy Hunter from North Yorkshire Police, said:

“Due to the high level demand in calls for service there may be a delay when calling the police on 101.

“We ask members of the public not to ring 999 if you can’t get through on 101, please leave the lines free for genuine emergencies.”

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue has attended around 50 incidents. The majority of these incidents included falling trees, power lines and dangerous structures.

Neil Irving, on behalf of the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, said:

“County and district councils and emergency services continue to pull out all the stops to keep highways clear and our residents safe and we are calling on all our residents to help us in this endeavour.

“Travel only if you need to and remain vigilant. Above all please look out for neighbours and friends particularly those who are elderly and frail who may be without power for a prolonged period in very cold weather, especially as nightfall approaches.

“We are calling on friends and neighbours and people without power to consider making arrangements together to move people into warm accommodation until power is restored.”

2.45pm – Homes will be without power today and into tomorrow

Homes across the Harrogate district that have been without power since last night may not get the supply back until tomorrow.

While it is difficult to get a hold of the impact on the district specifically with Northern Powergrid’s outage map down, we have received a number of complaints about the issue.

More than 108,000 properties are still affected. Here is what a spokesperson for the power company said:

“Storm Arwen, which continues to hit the region, has brough windspeeds of up to 100 mph and is the largest storm to impact our network since 2005.

“More than 219,000 homes and businesses have been affected and we have restored power to some 111,000 customers.

“With 108,000 still affected, and as a result of the ongoing situation, many customers will be off supply for the majority of the day and into tomorrow or when it is safe to carry out repairs.”

2pm – Storm Arwen starts to relent

Storm Arwen is beginning to relent after battering the Harrogate district over the last 24 hours.

The Met Office has said that the strongest of the winds have now passed but there are still severe weather warnings in place across the UK.

A yellow warning for wind is still vald until 6pm. However, the storm is now moving southwards.

The worst of the winds may have passed but there is a cold night ahead with a yellow warning for ice in place between 5pm and 11am tomorrow.

Chief meteorologist Steve Ramsdale, said:

“Storm Arwen has delivered some dangerously strong winds overnight, with gusts in excess of 90mph recorded and sustained windspeeds of over 60mph.

“The strong winds will move south across the UK through the day, gradually weakening.

“Warnings are in still in force through the day and there has been widespread disruption so check and follow advice from local authorities before you head out.

“There is a chance of snow in some locations, particularly the higher ground in Scotland and Northern England where we have already seen some accumulations.

“Any snow falling at lower levels is likely to be short lived.”

12.55pm – Tree down on Jenny Field Drive

Thanks to reader Jacci Stephenson who sent us this photo of a tree down on Jenny Field Drive in Harrogate today.

We also received this tweet about trees down in Bilton.

Two trees down on Bilton cycle path, one just north of Bilton lane easily avoided , the other just beyond the railway line bridge much harder to get round.

— terribletim (@terribletim6) November 27, 2021

We also understand many homes are still affected by the severe weather. Have things improved in Fewston since we received this tweet?

We have no electricity in Fewston and no mobile phone signal. We’ve phoned National Power Grid from the town centre to determine what is happening and they’re not taking calls and their website is down. We’re truly in the dark!

— steven (@Mincemoosemeat) November 27, 2021

Let us know the latest situation where you are by emailing contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

12.45pm – North Powergrid struggling to restore power

Northern Powergrid says Storm Arwen is the largest storm to impact network since 2005.

Parts of Yorkshire and the north east of England have significant damage to power network and although it has managed to restore power to many homes a significant number remain without power.

Rod Gardner, Northern Powergrid’s Major Incident Manager, said:

“Our contact centre is very busy and our website is experiencing issues due to the volume of customers using it.  Our teams are doing everything possible to resolve this and we are continuing to provide updates on our social media channels which we encourage customers to share”

Continued storm force winds mean it is currently unsafe for teams to climb and repair any damage caused to overhead power lines by fallen trees and flying debris.

Northern Powergrid warned that customers maybe off supply for the majority of the day and into tomorrow, or when it is safe to carry out restoration and repairs.

11.45am – Cancelled Christmas events across Harrogate district

(Closed) RHS Harlow Carr: Due to weather warnings & high winds, RHS Garden Harlow Carr is closing today (Sat 27 Nov) & this evening’s Glow event is cancelled. If you have booked for the garden or Glow you’ll automatically be refunded within the next 14 days. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused.

(Closed) Harrogate Theatre: Harrogate Theatre has now confirmed that it has been forced to cancel the whole weekend of scheduled panto performances. Storm Arwen has left the building with a leak.

(Closed) Brimham Rocks: National Trust has closed Brimham Rocks today due to high winds. The site said it is not safe for visitors or staff.

(Closed) Fountains Abbey: National Trust has closed Fountains Abbey near Ripon today due to high winds. The site said it is not safe for visitors or staff.

(Closed) Stockeld Park: The Christmas Tree Shop will be opening from 1pm today when winds are forecast to reduce to safe levels. The Adventure Park remains closed today as the storm through the night has caused some damage and the team are spending the day clearing up the debris and ensuring the site is safe.

Rides in Harrogate: Due to the anticipated high winds, the attractions in #Harrogate (Ferris wheel, carousel and helter-skelter) may not be running this weekend. The situation will be monitored throughout.

11.30am – Train disruption on Harrogate lines

Train commuters have faced lots of disruption this morning due to the strong winds caused by Storm Arwen.

Northern Rail has said that services will either be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or revised.

On the Harrogate board, the 11.45am to Leeds and 1.05pm to York are cancelled.

11am – Tree falls on moving car in Sharow

A clean up operation has just begun after a tree fell on a moving car with a driver inside in Sharow.

The incident occured this morning on Dishforth Road. We understand that the person inside suffered minor injuries.

We asked both North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue for more information but received no reply.

10.30am – Weekend of pantos cancelled at Harrogate Theatre

Harrogate Theatre has now confirmed that it has been forced to cancel the whole weekend of scheduled panto performances.

The theatre is currently undergoing a roof replacement. However, Storm Arwen has left the building with a leak.

It means that the 12pm and 5pm performances both today and tomorrow will not go ahead.

10.15am – Harrogate Theatre cancels panto over leak

Harrogate Theatre has been forced to cancel its performance of Cinderella at 12pm today due to a leak caused by Storm Arwen.

It is unclear at this stage whether the 5pm will be able to go ahead.

https://twitter.com/HGtheatre/status/1464536490273394698

9.50am – Power out in areas across the Harrogate district

Storm Arwen has left some people in the Harrogate district without power this morning.

A Stray Ferret reader in Fewston called Steven has told us they are currently without power and mobile phone signal this morning.

Northern Powergrid has said 112,000 of its customers are currently without power with more than 550 instances of damage on the network.

#StormArwen is continuing to batter our region and causing ongoing damage to our network.

We have restored power to 88,000 homes and businesses. We currently have 112,000 customers without power and we have more than 550 instances of damage on our network. pic.twitter.com/QvPLADIDAg

— Northern Powergrid (@Northpowergrid) November 27, 2021

9.15am – An update for the roads across the Harrogate district

Some trees have been cleared from main roads but there is still plenty of disruption across the Harrogate district.

• A tree has fallen onto a car on Dishforth Road in Sharow
• Tang Lane in Swincliffe blocked due to a large fallen tree, pictured above
• Reports of a fallen tree on High Moor Road near North Rigton
• Reports of a fallen tree on Follifoot Road near Pannal Golf Club

Pennypot Lane and Jennyfield Drive are now clear after fallen trees have been cleared

8.30am – Parkrun cancelled due to weather conditions

Organisers of the Parkrun in Harrogate have cancelled the event this morning due to Storm Arwen.

Harrogate Parkrun tweeted a picture of a downed tree and said it was just not safe to go out.

Nobody wants a tree on their head so we are cancelled today.

Sorry folks it’s just not safe for our runners or volunteers to go ahead this morning.

Stay safe, have a wonderful weekend and we’ll see you soon. pic.twitter.com/cR19KzhX4G

— Harrogate parkrun (@Hgateparkrun) November 27, 2021

8.15am – Buses are still running across the district

The Harrogate Bus Company is running its services across the Harrogate district this morning with a couple of exceptions:

• Harrogate Electrics 2A is unable to serve Rawson Street, Elm Road, Alder Road Dene Park stops
• The 24 is also disrupted between Darley and Birstwith

Transdev CEO Alex Hornby tweeted:

“This morning has been challenging. Our teams are doing a tremendous job to get buses moving in the storms and snow (and around many fallen trees!). We are doing our best to update you on our social channels.

“Thanks to everyone for doing their bit – and for your patience today.”

8am – Fallen trees causing issues on the roads

We have seen several reports overnight and this morning of fallen trees causing issues on the roads across the Harrogate district.

• Reports of tree in road on Jennyfield near the junction with Lindrick Way
• Reports of tree down on Penny Pot Lane in Harrogate
• Police incident on Dishforth Road in Sharow, reports of tree down and crash
• Reports of tree in road on Ripon Road south of Wormald Green

Have we missed anything? Get in touch so we can add it to our live blog and let others know.

A Harrogate resident said he is “upset and angry” because a mature tree was felled today to make way for the Otley Road cycle path.

Works have continued throughout November to build the new cycle path, which is part of a package of sustainable transport measures in the west of Harrogate.

For the first phase of the route, a section is being created between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road.

But to make way for the route, two mature trees have to be felled, including one today near Pannal Ash Drive.

Chris Dicken, who has lived off Otley Road for 35 years, said he enjoyed looking at the tree and was angry to see workers remove it this morning.

“I am intensely angry. It is a mature well-loved landmark that has been felled for minor benefit.

“They are taking a nice green environment and putting tarmac down.

“I’m very angry and upset.”

Read more:

• Highways boss: No ‘exact date’ for completion of Otley Road cycle path
• Bid for 780 homes and new school on Harrogate’s Otley Road

The long-awaited introduction of a cycle path on Otley Road has been welcomed by Harrogate District Cycle Action as a major step forward for active travel infrastructure in the town.

However, Mr Dicken, who is a cyclist himself, criticised the “badly designed” cycle path. He believes cyclists will not be encouraged to use it because 58% of it will be shared with pedestrians.

“They said it will reduce traffic on Otley Road, but there’s no evidence that will happen.”

Karl Battersby, corporate director of business and environmental services at North Yorkshire County Council said:

“To accommodate Otley Road cycle route, this is the one and only tree that has to be removed in Phase 1, with one more in Phase 2. We intend to replace these two trees with new plantings on Harrogate Grammar School and Yorkshire Water land, and we are in active discussion with both parties. We are also working with Harrogate Borough Council to plant additional trees on Otley Road; meaning there will be more trees following this scheme than there were before.

“A congestion study in Harrogate showed overwhelming public support for sustainable transport provision as an alternative to the use of the car. Otley Road cycleway is one element of ongoing projects in Harrogate to make it easier and safer for people to use active, sustainable modes of transport, such as cycling.”

Works have also taken place to widen the junction on Harlow Moor Road for motorists, which has involved the felling of ten other trees.

Harrogate Borough Council has outlined plans to plant around 1,800 trees in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

The council identified Bilton Fields in Harrogate and Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough as key places to increase canopy cover and biodiversity.

The new trees will form part of the new White Rose Forest project for North and West Yorkshire, which will be one of 10 community forests in England.

Government funding to the tune of £3.7m will enable 218 hectares of trees to be planted – 17 hectares of which will go to Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Read more:

• Thousands of new trees could be planted in Harrogate
• Green light for 1,000 solar panels on Harrogate Convention Centre roof
• New designs of Harrogate town centre after £10.9m project revealed

Oak, hornbeam, hazel, alder, cherry, crab apple and other native trees would be used if the council goes ahead with the project as planned in the 2021/22 planting season.

The tree planting season runs between November and March in the UK.

Harrogate Borough Council has opened a public consultation into the tree planting project, which has a deadline of November 7 for feedback.

The first White Rose Forest trees were planted in the Harrogate district last year in Nidderdale by the Rotary Club of Harrogate, Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Ashville College.

A security firm has teamed up with a Harrogate environmental business to reduce its carbon footprint by planting 131 trees.

Dardan Security joined forces with Make it Wild to plant the trees to offset its annual carbon emissions.

The company said the trees planted will offset 480 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent each year.

Make it Wild planted the trees at Dowgill Grange in Summerbridge on the company’s behalf. Co-founder Christopher Neave said;

“Where there are unavoidable greenhouse gas emissions, caused by their business activities, our trees will be removing an equivalent quantity and more from the atmosphere as they grow.”

“We will never cut them down and they are destined to become the trees of the future.”

Make it Wild was founded by Harrogate couple Christopher and Helen Neave eleven years ago. They aim to plant over 100,000 trees in the district by 2030.

Their site in Kirk Hammerton is now open to the public as Sylvan Nature Reserve.

Dardan Security has also pledged that any new additions to their transport fleet will be electric or hybrid. Transport fuel emissions currently equate to nearly 90% of the firm’s total carbon output.

Read more

• Yorkshire Water’s grim outlook for Fewston Reservoir in 50 years
• Weeds blitz in Harrogate town centre

Harrogate Borough Council is asking residents to donate oak or sycamore saplings that might be in their gardens.

Once the trees are big enough, the council will plant them across the Harrogate district to enhance woodland areas.

It has asked residents to bring the saplings to the council’s nursery on Harlow Hill between 10am and 3pm from Monday to Friday.

The council tweeted:

“We need your help! If you have any oak or sycamore trees in your garden, we’d love it if you could dig up any saplings you might have, making sure they have a good root system and are placed in in a plant pot or wet newspaper.”

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HBC is involved in the White Rose Forest, which is one of 10 community forests being created in England. It will span North and West Yorkshire.

The forest will consist of pockets of woodland rather than huge expanses and is part of the government’s commitment to increase UK tree planting to 30,000 hectares a year by 2025.

An HBC report in September 2020 identified 17.2 acres of council-owned land that could potentially be used to plant trees for the White Rose Forest.

A Pannal resident is in a battle with Harrogate Borough Council over two willow trees that he believes hang precariously over his house.

Professor Alejandro Frangi, who is an internationally renowned expert on computational medicine, lives by Crimple Beck in the Harrogate suburb with his wife and eight children.

On the other side of the water are several trees, including the two willows that he believes could fall in strong winds and threaten the safety of his young family.

In 2020 he applied to the council to prune and manage the trees. The council agreed to manage some of them, but it refused to touch the willows, saying that work would damage their health.

Instead it placed a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) on them, making it a criminal offence to make any changes.

Prof Frangi has accused the council of “acting unreasonably” over the trees and submitted a formal complaint to the council about the way the saga has been handled.

The council rejected his complaint and said it was satisfied with how it made the decision.

Prof Frangi told the Stray Ferret:

“These trees risk falling on to my side of the river, straight on my property, posing a risk to my family and property. The council has been acting unreasonably, dismissing the risks and putting TPOs on the trees instead of protecting us.”

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To help his case, Prof Frangi commissioned arboricultural consultant James Royston to inspect the hazards posed by the trees, and he agreed that one of them could be dangerous.

The report said:

“It is overhanging a house and garden, and it thereby presents a reasonably foreseeable risk of danger to the occupants and visitors of that house and garden.”

However, it doesn’t appear that Harrogate Borough Council will change its position.

Prof Frangi has now lodged an appeal with the government’s Planning Inspectorate about the council’s refusal and hopes it will force them to change their stance.

A HBC council spokesperson said:

“Proposals that result in the thinning, loss of or damage to mature trees that are subject to a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) are not permitted unless there is an overriding need that outweighs loss or harm.

“The trees are mature specimens with no visible health defects, and thinning would have a detrimental impact on their health and the visual amenity of the surrounding area, contrary to the guidance in the National Planning Policy Framework and Policy NE7 of the Harrogate Local Plan.”

“Professor Frangi has submitted appeals against the council’s decisions to refuse consent and the matter is now with the Planning Inspectorate whose decisions are currently awaited.”

The eco-business Make It Wild planted its 50,000th tree in the Harrogate district earlier today.

The tree was planted by volunteers at its Dowgill Grange site in Summerbridge, which means the company is now halfway to its goal of planting 100,000 trees in the district by 2030.

Helen and Christopher Neave, who own Make It Wild, estimate their team has planted over 11,000 in the current planting season alone, which began in November and ends soon.

The trees will contribute to the Northern Forest, a government initiative to plant 50 million trees from Liverpool to Hull.

A wide variety of native species have been planted including oak, silver birch, wild cherry, rowan and willow.

Helen said the trees are great for biodiversity and will attract a wide variety of insects and birds.

Helen said as well as capturing carbon dioxide from the amtosphere, the trees will have other benefits including drawing up water from the River Nidd to help alleviate flooding.

Read more:

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Make It Wild started 10 years ago when the couple bought a 26-acre plot of land near Kirk Hammerton.

More sites have been bought in Nidderdale including 111 acres at Bank Woods and a 44-acre neighbouring site known as Dowgill Grange.

Helen told the Stray Ferret they were inspired after planting 20,000 trees on the land at Kirk Hammerton. She said after waiting five years for the trees to grow, the amount of wildlife that came was “absolutely incredible”.

To fund the tree planting, Make It Wild sells tree dedications for weddings or birthdays, carbon offsetting for businesses and eco-friendly products including animal habitat boxes.

An upset Harrogate family discovered this morning its memorial tree on the Stray had been damaged.

Sharon Canavar posted pictures of the tree on Twitter this morning and described her sadness at the incident.

Ms Canavar suspects the tree, planted along Slingsby Walk, was vandalised overnight. The top two-thirds were snapped off and left on the floor.

The tree is one of 50 planted in 2016 to mark Harrogate International Festival’s 50th anniversary. Residents were offered the chance to buy a tree, with many doing so in memory of loved ones.

Ms Canavar, who is chief executive of Harrogate International Festivals, bought a tree for her family. She said:

“I found it this morning on our walk. My kids were more upset. People say it happens a lot and there has been a spate of it happening in the past. It seems they’ve got mine this time.”

She hopes to be able to replace the tree eventually.

This is far from the first tree on the Stray that has been damaged recently.

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In October, local police officer, Sgt Paul Cording tweeted about a number of trees “destroyed and killed” on York Place Stray.

In June, there were reports of vandalism affecting young trees. It occurred when local police officers were attempting to crack down on large groups congregating on the Stray.

Thousands of new trees could be planted in the Harrogate district after the government earmarked £3.7m for the new White Rose Forest.

The White Rose Forest is one of 10 community forests being created in England. It will span north and west Yorkshire.

The funding will enable 218 hectares of trees to be planted — but specific details on how much of the new tree coverage will fall within our district are yet to be announced.

The White Rose Forest will consist of pockets of woodland rather than huge expanses and is part of the government’s commitment to increase UK tree planting to 30,000 hectares a year by 2025.

A Harrogate Borough Council report in September identified 17.2 acres of council-owned land that could potentially be used to plant trees for the White Rose Forest.

It consisted of 14 hectares of land on either side of the Bilton to Ripley cycleway and 3.2 hectares of land next to Conyngham Hall in Knaresborough.

Read more:

• Couple’s mission to plant 100,000 trees in Harrogate district

• Dreams become reality as district’s first community woodland is secured

The average woodland cover in Europe is about 36%. In the UK the average is 12%. In the Harrogate district and the Yorkshire Dales the figure is 8%.

Landowners within the White Rose Forest area have been invited to apply for grants, incentives and support to create woodlands on their land.

The first White Rose Forest trees were planted in the Harrogate district last year in Nidderdale by the Rotary Club of Harrogate, Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Ashville College.