Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Congratulations to all the councillors who voted to pass the Station Gateway plans — you have just killed off a large quantity of small businesses in the town.

It’s about time your salaries and pensions were docked at the same amount as these small business owners are going to lose.

Then you might start making the right commercial decisions. Shame on you.

Tony Cowan, Harrogate

Gateway is ‘a highway engineer’s-led solution’

I along with all those who spoke against the gateway project in its present form were extremely disappointed with the outcome but the support from the public gallery was encouraging.

We had all put a lot of time, thought and consideration into preparing our statements.  This was the result of talking to others, local knowledge, professional experience and above all an understanding of how this town works – the skills which the executive and officers of North Yorkshire Council clearly still do not have.

There was nothing new in the North Yorkshire Council presentations and it was clearly a case of delivering the same old information that we have all heard so many times before but yesterday in a series of rather long, boring and bumbled presentations that did not inspire any of us.

It is still unfortunately purely a highway engineer’s-led solution.  It is not capable of celebrating this as an exemplary and attractive gateway to the town simply because there was no mention of urban design (or an understanding of what makes places work).  This is generated by a lack of awareness from those with limited understanding of Harrogate, its character and the largely cohesive Conservation Area it sits in.

Once again an attempt at a publicity exercise to justify the project but with more than a hint of desperation as threats emerged at the loss of funding or it being moved elsewhere.

All this was followed by councillors debating a decision which will have far reaching consequences on our town. Unfortunately, most of those present seemed to have little grasp of the actual mechanics of what will occur.

Sadly the project now has conditional support from the area constituency committee but does require North Yorkshire Council officers to work with residents and businesses to find the best use of the money.

Part of this should include discussions on the alternative scheme I handed to area constituency committee members.  Cllr Keane Duncan did however point out there were time pressures to proceed with the project.  Sadly as we all know the highways executive has a history of ignoring the democratic process, not listening and dismissive of public comment.

Time will definitely determine what happens next.

Barry Adams, Harrogate

Read More:

• Tree that crushed Porsche on Harrogate street is felled
• £11.2m Station Gateway set to go ahead after crucial Harrogate area vote
• Bank holiday gathering leaves mess in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens

Old trees are dangerous

I’ve just read your article reference the crushed Porsche.

I’m not sure what the council’s tree and woodlands policy is but Harrogate has thousands of very mature trees requiring radical maintenance to reduce various risks to pedestrians, motorists and subsurface infrastructure alike.

Mike Hodgson, Harrogate 

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

The boating lake in Valley Gardens had to be drained of rubbish this morning after a bank holiday gathering last night.

Gardeners were on site early this morning to clean-up after revellers left so much mess.

Numerous bin bags were filled and removed before the lake was refilled.

Jon Clubb, acting head of parks and environmental services at North Yorkshire Council, said:

“Last night we experienced some antisocial behaviour in Valley Gardens. This morning the gardeners removed rubbish, drained the boating lake and gave the surrounding area a clean. It is now refilled with water.

“This was due to take place tomorrow in anticipation of the three-day event to mark the King’s coronation at the weekend when we hope thousands of people will visit the beautiful gardens.”

Some of the rubbish

Jane Blayney, former chair of the Friends of Valley Gardens, noticed the clean-up operation this morning. She said:

“It was a dreadful mess. Sacks and sacks of rubbish were taken.

“I felt sorry for the gardeners, who are busy enough and were diverted from their preparations for the coronation weekend.”

Read more:

• Valley Gardens ceremony to mark Harrogate’s 70 years of links with New Zealand
• Harrogate dominatrix who ran international sex trafficking racket to be deported

A sculpture symbolising eternal friendship and loyalty will be unveiled in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens this weekend.

The Maori pikorua symbol forms part of the newly-refurbished New Zealand Gardens, along with a new bench and an information board.

The garden was created in 1953 to mark the links between Harrogate and Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, forged during the Second World War. Four men from Wellington are among the 23 New Zealand Air Force crew buried in the Commonwealth war graves at Stonefall cemetery.

The refurbishment – the first work for more than a decade – has been funded by individual donors, along with support from North Yorkshire Council, including local councillors Sam Gibbs and Peter Lacey.

It follows the deterioration of the previous installations in the area, including wooden sculptures and a bench which were affected by the weather and targeted by vandals in 2020.

Dennis Richards, chair of Harrogate International Partnerships, which oversees Harrogate’s twinning programme, said:

“It’s not a memorial garden, but the trigger for it was the New Zealand air crew buried at Stonefall. It was a vision of the two towns to create this garden which celebrates history, culture and friendship.

“It has taken a long, long time to get the money together to do the refurbishment.”

The unveiling of the garden will take place at 11am tomorrow, Saturday.

Flt Lt Dan Channon of the Royal New Zealand Air Force will represent his country and its capital, Wellington, at the ceremony.

Tewit Intermediate Band will play from 10.40am before the ceremony is opened by Mr Richards at 11am.

It will include short speeches about the history of the garden, its links to Stonefall, and the significance of the pikorua sculpture.

Among those speaking will be Fran Pride, the daughter of Tony Sissons who was instrumental in its development through his roles with the Friends of Valley Gardens and Harrogate in Bloom.

His widow, Bobbie, will officially reveal a new information board explaining the links between the towns, before Virginia Partridge, whose late father Alan Rollinson had strong links with both Harrogate and New Zealand, unveils the new sculpture.

The national anthems of both countries will be performed, with soloist Amelia McQuire singing New Zealand’s.

Alongside the garden refurbishment, Harrogate International Partnerships is working to build stronger links between the people of Harrogate and the communities in their twinned towns.

As well as Wellington, Harrogate has twinning agreements with Barrie in Canada, Bagneres de Luchon in France, and the Unesco world heritage site of Montecatini Terme in Italy.

Read more:

• Model boating to continue in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens
• Chainsaw sculpture completed at Ripon’s Himalayan Garden

A 99-year-old tradition of model boating looks set to continue in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens.

Members of Claro Marine Modellers and a representative from North Yorkshire Council held talks at the boating lake today about a new fountain.

The model boating club was concerned the fountain would damage boats and bring an end to their hobby in Harrogate.

But Adrian Selway, the new club secretary who has been sailing model boats for 30 years in Valley Gardens, said the talks had reached a solution.

Mr Selway said the council had agreed the fountain will not operate when club members sail their boats on Sunday mornings all year round and on Wednesday evenings during summer.

He added:

“It was a very amicable meeting and the outcome was favourable. The council was anxious to support the club.”

Harrogate Borough Council’s decision to spend £6,000 installing the fountain prompted concerns of boats running aground on the structure.

There were also fears spray from the fountain could ruin boats.

Harrogate Borough Council was abolished at the end of last month. North Yorkshire Council has inherited its assets, including Valley Gardens.

Read more:

• Harrogate model boating club could fold due to Valley Gardens fountain
• Regal floral art wows visitors at Harrogate Flower Show

Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. Send your views to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk.

When Harrogate Borough Council published the local plan, it gave the house building industry 35 Christmas presents at once as they massively over-provisioned for the housing needs of Harrogate and turned over vast swathes of previously protected countryside to be turned into building sites.

Yet it seems the developers are not satisfied with that. This site is outside the local plan land dedicated to new houses and is designated as Special Landscape Area.

There is absolutely no requirement for this development and no justification for allowing it.

I believe that people here who value nature and the countryside are sick of the constant bulldozing of green space and just view this as money grabbing greed – selling the soul of the town just so that someone can see a big number on their bank statement.

This is a completely insane place to build. These houses will be so disconnected to any other infrastructure close by — the main exit being the new junction at the base of Almsford Bank.

Anyone who has ever tried to cross the road at this point will recognise just how intimidating it is – cars going north taking a run up round the corner to get up the hill, cars going south with the foot of the brake accelerating downhill. Even if you lowered the speed limit few people would stick to it. It’s an accident blackspot in the making.

The environmental impact of this small estate would be considerable. Few people would be prepared to walk or cycle out of that junction with the footpath being on the opposite side of the A61, so every journey is likely to be by car. I understand there is provision to plant trees to replace those removed, but it will take 50 years for these new trees to sequester the carbon released by those that are to be taken out.

Ian Murdle, Harrogate

Boating lake madness

We’ll fight to keep Starbeck Baths

Starbeck Residents’ Association has already talked to the council and is in ongoing discussion to ensure our local pool is reopened as soon as possible. We’ve been assured that Starbeck Baths are important to North Yorkshire Council as we know they are to our local community.

The SRA successfully campaigned to save the pool when they were threatened a few years ago and I did the same to get it reopened when it was kept unnecessarily closed long after lockdown.

So the SRA will do everything we can to support our swimming pool.

Chris Watt 

Chair, Starbeck Residents’ Association

Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.

A model boating club is to vote this week on whether to continue following the decision to install a fountain in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens.

Model boating has taken place on the boating lake near the cafe for 99 years.

But in one of its final acts before abolition, Harrogate Borough Council spent £6,000 on a new fountain.

Claro Marine model boating club pleaded with the council not to press ahead with the water feature, warning it would jeopardise their hobby.

Boats could run aground if they hit the fountain and their engines could be damaged by the spray.

But the council brushed aside the concerns and the fountain is now active.

The fountain in Valley Gardens

Claro Marine appealed last week for access to a new lake but so far nothing has transpired.

Club secretary Dave Finnegan said members would meet on Tuesday night to decide whether to continue.

“Some members, including myself, are members of other clubs. The only bad part is the distance — at least two of our members do not drive.

“There is a real chance Claro Marine modellers will close.”

Read more:

• ‘The council have destroyed 99 years of model boats in Harrogate’
• Model boating must continue, says Friends of Valley Gardens

A new fountain in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens has effectively ended a century of model boating, according to the club that has used it for decades.

Claro Marine model boating club pleaded with Harrogate Borough Council to halt the £6,000 installation of the fountain in the boating pond near the cafe.

It said water from the fountain would damage the boats’ engines and jeopardise their hobby.

But the council, which was abolished a week ago, pressed ahead and the fountain was switched on a few days ago.

The pond has been used for model boating for 99 years.

Cub secretary Dave Finnegan, 69, told the Stray Ferret he was “very sad” because it spelled the end of a pastime he had pursued since childhood.

Mr Finnegan said:

“The council have destroyed 99 years of model boats in Harrogate. They will not listen.”

The club, he said, had been told the fountain would be situated in the deep end but it was actually in the middle of the pond, creating more of an obstacle.

The fountain is expected to operate from 9.30am to 6pm each day.

Mr Finnegan said:

“Even if switched off, the fountain is an underwater object to hit or go aground on.

“How do you get a boat back if it’s in the middle of the pond? I will not be sailing in Valley Gardens.

“I would like to thank all the visitors to the pond while I have been sailing for their kind comments and questions.”

The fountain has created an obstacle in the middle of the pond.

Mr Finnegan said the club was now trying to find another pond in the Harrogate area.

Alison Wilson, head of parks and environment services at Harrogate Borough Council, previously told the club:

“As the body [of the fountain] consists of a base and jets there is little infrastructure involved. Once in place, we will consider any protection required to ensure there is no damage to the jets from boats and vice versa.

“We do not wish to curtail your clubs activities, simply make the area more attractive and usable at other times of the week”.

Read more:

• Model boating must continue, says Friends of Valley Gardens
• Model boaters in Valley Gardens call for public support to stop fountain

Valley Gardens in Harrogate is set to host a three-day celebration event for the coronation of King Charles III.

The free event will take place from Saturday, May 6, until Monday, May 8.

It will include live stream of the coronation ceremony on a big screen from Westminster Abbey.

Besides the big screen, a stage will feature a line-up of family-friendly entertainment.

There will also be fairground rides, food and drink stalls, pop-up character appearances, circus workshops and an artisan market in the gardens Sun Colonnade.

Cllr Sam Gibbs, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, said:

“Valley Gardens provides the perfect backdrop for our three-day event to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.

“There will be rides, family entertainment throughout the weekend, pop-up character appearances and circus workshops. There truly is something for everyone and even better, it’s all free.

“So pack a picnic and come on down to Valley Gardens to mark the coronation.”

For more information on the event, visit the Visit Harrogate website.

Read More:

• New horn is the jewel in the crown of Ripon’s royal celebrations
• Your memories of how the district celebrated the Queen’s silver jubilee in 1977
• Fees waived for Harrogate district street parties to mark coronation

A new canopy and picnic benches have been installed in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens.

Harrogate Borough Council put in the facilities, which cost £25,000, as part of its annual maintenance programme.

The council said the existing benches were in need of repair.

It added the new seats and canopy would “ensure visitors have adequate seating and shelter from not only the rain and snow but also the hot weather”.

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council said:

“Valley Gardens receives more than four million visits per year, and the new picnic benches have been installed to replace the existing ones that were in disrepair, as part of our annual maintenance programme.

“To celebrate these new additions to Valley Gardens we are hosting a treasure hunt on Tuesday 14 February between noon and 4pm. The first 240 children to complete the treasure hunt will receive a free ice-lolly.”

Read More:

• New book reveals history behind Valley Gardens trees
• Model boaters in Valley Gardens call for public support to stop fountain

Visitors to Harrogate’s Valley Gardens are being encouraged not to feed the ducks because of the risk of attracting rats.

Harrogate Borough Council recently installed a notice warning people of the risks associated with leftover food on the ground.

It said this could cause issues with rodents and overfed ducks.

However, the council stressed it had no plans to close the gardens, as occurred at Quarry Moor playground in Ripon 18 months ago when the number of rats caused a public health concern.

A council spokesperson said:

“We understand visitors to Valley Gardens in Harrogate enjoy feeding the ducks. However, doing so can attract rats that may feed on the food that is left, and also result in the ducks being overfed.

“Therefore, we would urge people not to feed the ducks.

“We have absolutely no intention whatsoever to close Valley Gardens.”

Read more:

• Union predicts some Harrogate district schools will close due to strike
• Major event signs up for five more years in Harrogate