Ripon Together steps up bid to make city greener

The next step in an environmental initiative launched in late January by the community interest company Ripon Together will be taken on Monday (February 27).

The not-for-profit organisation, which has 150 members, brings people together on projects that improve Ripon.

A meeting starting at 7pm in Thorpe Prebend House, High St Agnesgate, is open to all who want to make Ripon a better place to live through the reduction of carbon impacts.

On the agenda will be plans for a Green Fair in the summer and discussion to agree how to take forward work in the areas of energy efficiency and renewables, waste, recycling and litter and nature, biodiversity and access.

Simon Hewitt, a Ripon Together director, said:

“The first meeting was great.  It was really well attended and lots of good ideas emerged.  We want to start real action to take those forward.

“That is what the second meeting is for and why we want as many people and bodies as possible to get there.  It would be great if people could spread the word and let us have their ideas on these issues either at the meeting or by emailing info@ripontogether.com”.

Mr Hewitt added:

“Lots of people are already doing their bit, whether it is litter-picking, recycling, path clearance or reducing their use of plastic or other packaging.  Ripon Together wants to bring groups together to make this even better, encourage more volunteering and tackle new challenges.”

Since the first meeting on January 30,  Ripon Together has bid for funding for a feasibility study into placing solar panels on many of the city’s schools and installing more charging points for electric vehicles.

 

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Festive bin collection dates revealed in Harrogate district

Harrogate Borough Council has published details of changes to waste and recycling collection days over the festive period.

This year, there will only be changes on the week commencing Monday, December 26.

Collections will return to normal on Monday 2 January.

Anyone who is unsure of their dates can check here on the council website.

Details of what can be recycled or reused, including wrapping paper, are available here.

Household waste recycling centres in the Harrogate district are open every day over the festive period except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

They are open every other day from 8.30am to 4pm except on Wednesdays, when they are closed.

Details of when the recycling centres and other services run by North Yorkshire County Council are open over the holidays are here.

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Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal: How high standards help to feed hungry families

This year’s Stray Ferret Christmas Appeal is for Resurrected Bites in Harrogate and Knaresborough. Today, Vicky meets the food scientist ensuring everything is of the best quality when it reaches those in need.

Please give generously to support local people who are struggling this Christmas. They need your help. 

 

In a quiet corner of a warehouse in Harrogate, Catherine Crompton is sorting through sachets of baby food.

Around us, shelves are packed with cat food (“let’s not get those two mixed up!”), lentils, toiletries, tinned vegetables and much more.

As I talk to warehouse manager Catherine, more produce is coming in: tins and packets and toiletries, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables. She says:

“We don’t need soup and beans at the moment. People went crackers at harvest festivals!”

What’s in short supply, she tells me, is baking ingredients. They have plenty of tea bags, but not a lot of instant coffee comes in. Apple juice, orange juice, bottles of squash and packets of everyday biscuits are also hard to come by.

The food coming through the door is mostly from supermarkets: excess produce reaching its best before date, collected by Resurrected Bites volunteers and delivered here, to the warehouse on Hornbeam Park.

Catherine says:

“Because I’ve got a PhD in food science, I actually know the shelf life. Tins last a lot longer than the dates suggest.

“Some things you have to have the ‘use by’ date because you can’t see those micro-organisms. ‘Best before’ is a standard of quality, while ‘use by’ is a food safety thing.”

Her scientific background is in evidence in the warehouse. Everything is logged as it arrives and as it leaves for Resurrected Bites’ community groceries and pay-as-you-feel cafes.

The shelves are carefully laid out and all the contents organised. Every product is checked for allergen information.

There’s an area for toiletries – which also doubles up as Catherine’s office – and one for catering packs that can be used in the cafes.

There is also a huge, industrial-type fridge and freezer, containing anything that needs to be kept chilled or frozen on arrival. Volunteers are busy loading new stock and rearranging existing contents to keep everything moving.

Resurrected Bites' fridge and freezer in the warehouse

Much of this organisation is down to Catherine’s professional experience, with support from volunteers. She tells me:

“Because I was a consultant in the food industry, in March 2020 my job stopped. I organised food from the food industry and took it to the food bank and they put me in touch with Michelle [Hayes, founder of Resurrected Bites].”

Catherine began by helping the community interest company as it delivered food parcels to people who found themselves struggling in the early days of the pandemic. The whole operation was run from plastic trays and tables at St Mark’s Church in Harrogate.

In the two years since, things have changed significantly. Catherine says:

“We moved to Hornbeam in July 2021. It has taken a good year but we’ve got the warehouse running efficiently and a fantastic bunch of volunteers and the cafes and groceries.

“We’ve got about 150 volunteers. A lot of people going out and collecting from the supermarkets.

“We collect from virtually all the supermarkets at various times. You need that, because you don’t know what you’re going to get. Sometimes we’ve had a volunteer turn up and it’s just one loaf of bread.”

As well as taking food that supermarkets no longer need, Catherine uses her contacts in the food industry to access more supplies.

Many companies send through samples and end-of-line products that will never even make it to supermarket shelves. They are perfectly safe to eat, but would otherwise be thrown away.

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Waste in the food industry is one of the reasons Catherine is so passionate about her role at Resurrected Bites. She says:

“One of our volunteers used to work in the cheese industry. Last Christmas, he got us a pallet of cheese.

“When they went through the label machine, it wasn’t put on straight – they had half of one label and half of another, instead of one complete one. They were keeping to all the regulations, they just didn’t look fancy, but who cares? It’s cheese.”

Those contacts have led to supplies of high quality sample products from companies across the Harrogate district and beyond: Bettys & Taylors, Heck, and Dales Dairies, to name just a few. Catherine says:

“A sweet company gave us some quality control samples. You go and take a shelf-ready pack and you might use one packed and leave 11 behind. We will have those 11 please!”

With demand for Resurrected Bites’ support growing all the time, Catherine is keen to keep building contacts with food producers in the region who might otherwise throw produce away, encouraging them to “wake up” and think about where the food could go instead.

Even if it can’t be used in the community groceries or cafes, Catherine and the team of volunteers will redirect it to a food bank or to FareShare, which distributes to other organisations around the country.

She adds:

“Resurrected Bites doesn’t just do ambient food like a food bank. It’s more like a supermarket shop.

“We work closely with the Trussell Trust and other organisations. We all work together. If we’ve got an excess, we share it with them, and they do the same.

“None of us want to see food wasted and because of that cooperation, very little goes to landfill.”

Nobody in the Harrogate district should go hungry this Christmas. 

It costs £300 to run the community grocery for one day. Please help to keep it open for everyone who relies on it. 

Click here to contribute now. 

Warning over waste after ‘fatberg’ found in Ripon sewer

A sewer in Ripon became completely blocked by congealed fats after people disposed of the wrong waste down their sinks.

It meant sewage was no longer able to flow through the 450mm sewer in Skellgarth towards the wastewater treatment works, potentially causing serious problems.

It has now been cleared by Yorkshire Water, which is now urging people not to pour fats and oils down their sinks.

Lee Pinder, regional operations manager at Yorkshire Water, said:

“The disposal of fats and greases down sinks can result in significant blockages within the network.

“This ‘fatberg’ was completely blocking the flow of sewage to the treatment works, leading it to back up in the network, with the potential to cause sewage flooding for nearby homes, businesses and the local environment.

“While pouring fats and greases down the drain may seem harmless, we know from experience that the build ups caused by frequent disposal of these liquids can have significant consequences. The fats and oils congeal in the network and can grow as more unflushables, such as wet wipes, attach to it.

“Thankfully, our team was able to identify this particular blockage and remove it before it had an impact on our customers. We’d urge everyone to help fight fatbergs in our sewers by disposing of fat and oils in the bin, and by only flushing the 3Ps – pee, poo and (toilet) paper.”

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Recycle your unwanted electrical items at Knaresborough Market this week

North Yorkshire County Council will be collecting small electrical items such as plugs, kettles and hairdryers at Knaresborough Market this week.

It’s part of a campaign to reduce the number of small electrical items being thrown in the bin or hidden away at home.

Members of volunteer group North Yorkshire Rotters will be on hand to collect anything with a plug, battery or cable free of charge.

They will also be giving away free tubs to store used batteries, which will be available while stocks last.

Knaresborough Market is one of 20 locations in North Yorkshire where people can recycle electrical goods over the next month.

They can also be recycled at the household waste recycling centres, which are operated by Yorwaste on behalf of the county council.

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Scarborough Conservative councillor Derek Bastiman, executive member for waste management, said:

“The library drop-off service and market day events throughout June will make it easier for many people to drop off items that don’t work anymore and can’t be repaired.

“But, if you struggle to get to a household waste recycling centre please ask a friend or neighbour to take your broken appliance the next time they go and I would encourage residents who do visit our household waste recycling centres to ask anyone they know who doesn’t drive if they need any help.”

Calls for ‘European-style’ waste collection in Harrogate district

Waste and recycling managers have been asked to consider introducing ‘European-style’ waste collection systems in North Yorkshire.

Under the proposed radical overhaul, residents in the Harrogate district could get central points to deposit their waste.

A meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s transport, economy and environment scrutiny committee was told that the new unitary authority, which will begin in 2023, represents an opportunity to “work better in terms of waste minimisation”.

In some European countries, waste is deposited into a central skip buried underground with a post box-style top.

Councillors were told the scheme could benefit urban areas and where people live closely together, such as North Yorkshire’s coastal villages, but in rural areas there would be issues over where the skip was sited.

Officers commented while such a scheme would put an increased onus on residents to consider the waste they were producing, it would also be a “cultural shock”.

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Conservative councillor for Ribbelsdale, David Staveley, replied that 10 years ago, it would have been “unheard of” to have electric vehicle charging points, solar panels or ground source heat pumps in new-build homes.

He said with central waste skips residents would not have to find space for the growing list of separate bins.

Cllr Staveley said:

“It’s not good enough just to say people might get a bit shocked. People get shocked about a lot of things in life, but I think the world has moved on in the last couple of years and we are open to all sorts of new ideas.”

Conservative councillor for Harrogate Bilton and Nidd Gorge, Paul Haslam, said he supported a more “radical” approach to waste due to the amount of new homes being built in the county.

He said:

“I fully support a more radical approach, particularly as between now and 2025 there are probably going to be about 20% more houses built.”

Council urges residents to report ‘increased’ dog fouling in Harrogate

Harrogate Borough Council has urged residents to report dog fouling to its dog warden team.

It comes after an increase in reports of dog owners not picking up after their pets around Harlow Hill.

The council’s dog warden service said in a post on Facebook that the Otley Road area around Beckwith Road, Nursery Lane and the ginnel from the Shepherd’s Dog Pub to the allotments was “particularly bad”.

It urged people to report anyone seen using the same route regularly who does not pick up their dog’s mess, either by getting in touch on its website or by calling 01423 500600.

The statement said:

“Without this information it makes it harder to focus patrols and make a difference.”

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The council can issue fixed penalty notices of up to £80 for dog fouling. However, an FOI request submitted by the Stray Ferret last year revealed the council had issued no fines for dog fouling in the preceding 12 months.

It looks after more than 250 dog waste bins across the district.

11 fly-tipping fines issued in Harrogate district despite almost 3,000 reports

Harrogate Borough Council has issued just 11 fines for fly-tipping in the last five years, despite receiving 2,845 reports from the public.

The figures were obtained through a freedom of information request and posted on the website What Do They Know.

The council has the power to fine fly-tippers £400, which is reduced to £240 if paid within 10 days.

A council spokesperson blamed the low number of fines on needing “substantial” evidence before it can take action.

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The figures also reveal that fly-tipping has cost the council £190,985 in clean-up costs since 2017.

The most commonly dumped items were household waste, construction waste and white goods.

The council spokesperson said:

“Fly-tipping is a selfish crime that blights the landscape and spoils everyone’s enjoyment of our towns and countryside.

“In order to prosecute we need to carry out thorough investigations and provide substantial evidence. This can be a challenge as not all fly-tipping contain personal or business details we can investigate.

“But we will not give up tackling fly-tippers and bringing them to justice.“

Harrogate council: zero fines for littering or dog fouling in 12 months

Harrogate Borough Council has revealed it hasn’t issued any fines in the last year to people who drop litter or allow their dogs to foul in public.

The two issues have been hot topics recently.

The Stray has been a litter hotspot over the past year with takeaway boxes, leftover food, beer bottles and cans frequently discarded.

The Pinewoods Conservation Group has also highlighted on social media the problem of empty plastic bottles and other waste being left in the woodland.

Meanwhile, people have complained about an increase in dog owners leaving poo bags tied to trees, dumped in bushes or even thrown into private gardens.

Pateley Bridge Town Council is due to consider on Tuesday what action it can take against dog fouling at the play area.

A spokesperson from Pinewoods Conservation Group said:

“Litter has always been a major issue for us but seems to have worsened over the last 12 months.

“We often report specific areas of concern to the council but also have a number of volunteers who continue to work hard collecting litter from within and around The Pinewoods.

“Seeing large number dog waste left in plastic bags is specifically disappointing but a regular sight along the main footpaths. We would certainly encourage more enforcement of the rules with fines being applied where necessary. Without this it is difficult to see the situation improving.”

The council can issue fixed penalty notices of £100 for littering and up to £80 for dog fouling.

But a council spokeswoman told the Stray Ferret littering and dog fouling were “not a major problem” in the district.

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Yorkshire Live reported last week that Harrogate Borough Council was one of two councils in North Yorkshire that had not issued any fines for littering in two years.

A council spokeswoman said:

“The fact we’ve not issued any fines in the last 12 months is because littering and dog fouling is not a major problem and we have dedicated teams of people who keep the Harrogate district clean and tidy.

“Dedicating officers to deal with this issue is very resource intensive, and requires us having people in the right place at the right time to catch someone committing an offence within the 505 square miles of the district.

“We are very fortunate that the vast majority of people who live here or come to visit take considerable pride in the appearance of the area. Because of this they do the right thing and pick up after their dog, don’t drop litter and dispose of their waste responsibly.”

Fears 4,000 new homes in Harrogate could increase sewage in rivers

Building thousands of new homes in Harrogate could lead to more raw sewage ending up in the River Nidd, the Harrogate & District Green Party has warned.

A Stray Ferret investigation published this morning revealed Yorkshire Water released raw sewage into rivers and becks such as the Nidd, Ure and Coppice Beck for 36,000 hours last year.

Water companies are legally allowed to release sewage through overflow pipes when the sewage system becomes too full.

New housing developments are being built on Skipton Road and Penny Pot Lane.

With more developments proposed for Otley Road. it could mean over 4,000 new homes being built on the western side of Harrogate alone.

The Greens say Oak Beck, which runs from near Beckwithshaw, through the west of Harrogate and into the River Nidd, could suffer the brunt of this.

Oak Beck

Arnold Warneken, who is standing for the party in the upcoming North Yorkshire County Council Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election, said more needed to be done to tackle the problem.

He said:

“Whose job is it to mitigate the negative impacts of housing developments on the environment?

“We would like to see that any developments in this area are built with consideration to the combined sewer overflows, that Yorkshire Water fixes long-standing issues, and ensures new housing developments do not exaggerate these issues.”

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Yorkshire Water said yesterday it is investing £137m in storm overflow improvements, investigation and increased monitoring by 2025.

“We are also investigating the environmental impact of 158 frequent spilling overflows as part of the Water Industry National Environment Programme.

“As frequency of spill does not necessarily equate to environmental harm and environmental permits do not set spill threshold limits, these investigations will be key to understanding environmental impact, and what action needs to be taken to resolve any impacts.”