Police confirm 39-year-old man arrested after West Park attempted robberies

Police have confirmed that a 39-year-old man has been arrested following two attempted robberies on Harrogate’s West Park.

The Stray Ferret reported yesterday that officers were called to the area near the parade of shops, close to the junction with Tower Street, where witnesses said a man had attempted to mug several people.

Officers said two woman reported a man had tried to take their mobile phones.

A local resident called police after hearing one of the victims screaming for help on West Park.

Two police cars, two vans and an ambulance were at the scene shortly after 7pm.

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Officers added there were also reports that an object had been thrown at a woman on Oxford Road.

North Yorkshire Police confirmed this afternoon that a 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of two attempted robberies, assault and a public order offence.

A police statement said:

“The man currently remains in custody and enquiries into the incident are ongoing.

“Members of the public are asked to contact officers if they have any information that could assist the investigation. Please call North Yorkshire Police on 101 and quote reference number 12220066183 when providing any information.”

Police on West Park after attempted muggings in Harrogate

Police have been dealing with an incident in Harrogate this evening after a number of people were reported to have been attacked.

Officers were called to the area near the parade of shops on West Park, close to the junction with Tower Street, where witnesses said a man had attempted to mug several people.

A local resident called police after hearing one of the victims screaming for help on West Park.

Two police cars, two vans and an ambulance were at the scene shortly after 7pm.

The Stray Ferret understands a man has been arrested. We will update this story when more information is available.

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Shop will close tomorrow after 25 years in Harrogate

A longstanding fixture on Harrogate’s high street will close for good tomorrow.

Orvis, which sells outdoor clothes, fly-fishing gear, dog accessories and walking items, has been trading in town for about 25 years,

It opened on Parliament Street in the 1990s before moving to its current five-storey unit on West Park.

But the American owners have decided to move the business mainly online

The company, which has a closing down sale, employs around eight people who have now all found jobs elsewhere.

On its penultimate day today, there was an overwhelming sense of sadness at the site of the last few garments hanging on racks.

There were also items of store furniture and plastic shoe blocks scattered around for sale for just a few pounds.

The store’s stock is depleted now after a month of major discounts.

Staff were sad to see the store go and hoped another retailer would take on the building.

The future of the unit remains unknown. The Stray Ferret has contacted the retail agent, Stapleton Waterhouse, but has yet to receive a reply.

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Orvis has 18 shops in the UK and all but one, at Stockbridge near Reading, will close. The company will instead focus on online sales, particularly fly-fishing equipment.

Orvis was founded in Vermont in 1856 by Charles F Orvis.

The upstairs rooms are now completely bare.

Flooding reveals ‘major unresolved problem on West Park Stray’

Large swathes of The Stray in Harrogate remain flooded today after heavy rainfall from Storm Franklin.

The Stray underwent major repairs two years ago to improve drainage in the area near the Prince of Wales roundabout.

But that area, and many others, is under water, raising questions about what, if anything, can be done to improve matters.

The Stray Defence Association, which has campaigned to safeguard the Stray since the 1930s, posted on its Facebook page:

“Clearly there is a major unresolved problem on West Park Stray, whatever certain people say.

“Looking at the dire state of West Park Stray today this has never been the case over decades past … when in winter we often had 5/6 feet of accumulated snow melting on a regular basis as well as heavy rain.

“Tree roots are standing in water much of the time now, not just over this weekend. This is an environmental disaster in the making.”

£160,000 repairs ‘not money well spent’

Judy Darcy-Thompson, chair of the Stray Defence Association told the Stray Ferret.

“£160,000 was spent on repairs in 2019 and it was not money well spent since we’re still seeing flooding of this level.”

“There is also a concern about the number of trees being cut down around the area … these were protecting the area from floods, and the situation is only getting worse.”

Harrogate Borough Council, which is the protector of the Stray, was forced to repair the Stray in 2019 after the UCI World Championships caused extensive damage.

We reached out to the council for comment but did not receive a response.

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Locals also expressed their concerns over vehicles causing damage to the Stray after a van got stuck in the grass on Saturday afternoon.

https://twitter.com/HellyR1/status/1495077805964595201?s=20&t=wkvUuA4vc2wJodk1iPXEIA

Ms Darcy-Thompson said:

“These images have gone to the council and I have suggested that the driver pays for the damages they have done.”

 

Harrogate country sports shop Orvis set to close

Harrogate country sports shop Orvis is set to close as part of a major restructure of the business.

Orvis, which sells clothes for men and women, fly-fishing gear, dog accessories and walking items. has had a store in Harrogate for about 25 years. It was on Parliament Street before moving to its current site on West Park, which is currently operating a closing down sale.

The US-owned company confirmed that the Harrogate store, which has about eight members of staff, will remain open until the end of March.

Orvis has 18 shops in the UK and it is believed all but one, at Stockbridge near Reading, will close.

The company will re-focus on online sales, particularly fly-fishing equipment.

Orvis was founded in Vermont in 1856 by Charles F Orvis.

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Plan submitted to refurbish Harrogate’s Coach and Horses pub

Plans have been lodged to refurbish the Coach and Horses pub in Harrogate.

Provenance Inns, which owns West Park Hotel on the same street, took over the pub in October last year.

The new owners have now submitted plans to revamp the bar and kitchen area and reinstate the corner entrance.

It would also see part of the first floor converted into a restaurant area along with staff accommodation and office space.

Anthony Blundell, commercial manager at Provenance Inns, told the Stray Ferret that the company wanted to maintain the Coach and Horses as a “traditional pub”.

He said:

“The idea is to refurbish what is already there.

“We see it as the last traditional pub in Harrogate. We know from our guests how well it was respected.”

Documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council say the refurbishment will create up to 26 full time jobs across “a range of skilled and semi skilled occupations”.

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It is unclear when the pub will reopen, however Mr Blundell said the owners could get started on the work as soon as planning permission is granted.

Harrogate Borough Council will make a decision on the proposal at a later date.

The Coach and Horses has been closed for 20 months.

Previous landlord John Nelson lost the pub’s licence when police found customers drinking outside and not observing social distancing rules during the weekend of May 30, 2020.

Mr Nelson is well-known in the Harrogate area — he was landlord for 33 years and raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for local charities.

Stray Foodie review: Lunch at West Park

Stray Foodie reviews are brought to you by Deliveree, and written by Michelin-starred chef Frances Atkins. Frances independently chooses which restaurants she will visit. This month, she sampled the aged beef at West Park, but was disappointed. 

I have long since admired the position of West Park, overlooking the Stray but never eaten there, so this was a treat to cheer up a good friend.

On a sunny day this is a busy, vibrant area with pavement tables reminiscent of Parisienne café culture. With much investment, what was a downtrodden pub has now produced a sophisticated hotel, with a good vibe in-keeping with the local area.

The planning and operation of this establishment is exemplary considering the difficulties the industry has with the lack of staff. The Front of House service was faultless as we sat outside on a pavement table, albeit rather noisy.

This was lunchtime and one would assume that coffees and pastries had been enjoyed prior to lunch.

The menu 

Light bites, sandwiches and salads start from £9.00 for a fish butty consisting of a Black Sheep beer battered haddock, tartare sauce in a white or brown bloomer… not for the faint hearted! Or you could have an Indian spiced pulled chicken wrap with baby gem, mango chutney, cucumber and mint yoghurt, also for £9.00.

All sandwiches come with a dressed salad and chunky or skinny fries, or as an alternative there is a feta salad with roasted peppers and croutons, also for £9.00.

The light bites include haddock and leek gratin for £10.00, benedict ham, smoked salmon or spinach also £10.00, and other similar dishes.

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Grandly displayed in front of a very slick floral entrance is a more sophisticated menu with a choice of seven starters, including prawns, scallops, and confit of duck varying from £8.00 to £10.00 each.

As a main, there are variations of aged British beef ranging from £24 to £70. The £70 option is sirloin on the bone for two to share. Also available for a main course is a wagu burger, fish & chips, cod fillet, chicken & ham pie, sticky belly pork or a plum tomato & burrata tart, all priced between £15.00 and £20.00.

It was surprising to me that on this extensive menu, all the vegetarian dishes contained cheese.

Frances was disappointed with the aged beef

The verdict

We ordered a Mount St John courgette and Yorkshire fettle tart with ratatouille and parsley crisps. Sadly, the pastry on this dish was the best thing about it. All there seemed to be on the base was some tomato puree. The courgette was shrivelled and in desperate need of lubrication. Ratatouille contains courgette but it didn’t make another appearance, which was surprising as usually anything from Mount St John’s garden is of the highest quality.

If one boasts the quality of the ingredient on the menu, especially when it comes to rare breed aged beef, it needs to be amazing. However, the beef took 50 minutes to arrive after ordering, and we had declined a choice of sauces on the pretext that it would be well charred and full of its own natural juices. Sadly this was not to be.

Menus need to be written taking into consideration ingredient and staffing availability. In an establishment of this quality in these changing times, a humble plate of fresh, well executed food is much preferable to an overly ambitious menu that needs a lot of advanced preparation.

Stray Foodie reviews are written by Michelin-starred chef, Frances Atkins. In 1997, Frances opened the Yorke Arms near Pateley Bridge, where she was the owner for 20 years. During her ownership, she held her Michelin-star status for 16 of those years. Frances now runs Paradise Food at Daleside Nurseries, alongside fellow Michelin-starred chef Roger Olive and front of house manager John Tullett.  

‘Make traffic two-way on Parliament Street and West Park’

Harrogate historian Malcolm Neesam has called on North Yorkshire County Council to explore making West Park and Parliament Street open to traffic from both directions.

The two adjoining roads have been one-way for 50 years since the layout changed in 1970.

Mr Neesam, who has written several books on the town, believes returning the roads to how they used to be could be a solution to the town’s congestion problems.

Station Gateway

Traffic flow in Harrogate has been under the spotlight in recent months due to the £7.9m Station Gateway proposals, which could reduce Station Parade to one lane and pedestrianise part of James Street under plans yet to be decided

Some fear that it would have implications for the rest of Harrogate town centre and would exacerbate tailbacks on Station Parade, Cheltenham Parade, King’s Road and back to Parliament Street and West Park.

Mr Neesam believes that changing the road layout would “free up” traffic to flow more easily through town.

He also said it could benefit delegates visiting Harrogate Convention Centre, who would have better access to the town centre.

He said North Yorkshire County Council had long opposed reintroducing two-way traffic but called on the highways authority to reconsider.

He said:

“I’m very much in favour of making the roads two-way. It already works on Leeds Road and Ripon Road.

“They were built as a two-way system in the 18th century.

“It’s quite logical and would free up Station Parade and Cheltenham Parade.”

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In response, Don Mackenzie, the county council’s executive member for access and the Conservative councillor for Harrogate Saltergate, said he “wouldn’t rule it out forever” but was lukewarm on the idea.

He said:

“Many people will recall that in the 50s and 60s there was two-way traffic on West Park and Parliament Street. But this was when vehicle numbers were far less than today.

“Look at West Park and Parliament Street today — it’s difficult to imagine it being two-way with the amount of traffic the two lanes get.”

Cllr Mackenzie also rejected suggestions the Station Gateway proposals would significantly increase congestion in the town. He said:

“It’s likely to happen to a small extent, but the numbers suggested are very small.”

A radical history

Plans to make West Park and Parliament Street one-way were first drawn up in the 1960s by the former West Riding and Harrogate councils.

It was intended to be the first of a five-phase plan to radically alter the road network and would have involved the creation of dual carriageways and flyovers in Harrogate town centre.

However, the rest of the plan was scrapped following massive public opposition.

Harrogate venues double down on outdoor dining

Hotels, restaurants and bars in Harrogate are doubling down on their outdoor dining offering in time for reopening on April 12.

Although hospitality businesses are praying for a great British summer, they are also preparing for rain.

Venues in the Harrogate district had to adapt quickly to covid last year but this year’s roadmap has enabled them to plan to increase their outdoor covered areas based on what they have learned works.

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The West Park Hotel is one of those trying to take full advantage of space, both at the front and back.

As well as using its back courtyard, it is also working with neighbouring shops to bring the pavement in front of the building into use after hours.

In total West Park will have 160 outdoor seats, with many under awnings and marquees.

Cedar Court Hotel Harrogate is bringing back an updated version of its Tipi on the Stray, which will now has removable sides, making it compliant as an outdoor space. It will be able to serve lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.

It’s here and we’re taking bookings #Harrogate #Yorkshire … #Podville by ⁦@fatbadgerpub⁩ is taking bookings on a first come first served basis so be quick to secure your spot by calling 01423 505681 now! Full food & drink outdoor #hospitality offering in a unique setting pic.twitter.com/4OjtJJZMyn

— simon cotton (@simoncotton69) March 31, 2021

Instead of last year’s beach, the Fat Badger has now built what it calls “podville” in its rear car park.

Six people are able to book one of 15 pods for £5 an hour Monday to Thursday and £10 an hour Friday to Sunday.

Stray drainage system robust, says contractor

The company that carried out drainage work on the Stray at West Park has said the new system is robust and conforms to industry requirements.

John Lowe, managing director of Green Hammerton company L Philliskirk and Sons, said the company used a controlled discharge system that removes water slowly — but does not leave it standing for days or weeks as has historically blighted the Stray.

The Stray Ferret reported yesterday the Stray at West Park was flooded after one night of rain, six months after Harrogate Borough Council spent £20,000 on a new drainage system for this area.

By early afternoon most of the water had indeed drained away. The main problem was large puddles on the adjoining path – with some forcing pedestrians off the footpath close to the Prince of Wales roundabout.

Mr Lowe said the hydrobrake system conformed with Yorkshire Water guidelines. He likened it to draining water through a straw, and said it could be frustratingly slow but was effective at preventing long-term flooding. He added:

“The system may not be as quick as everyone likes but it will drain the water.”

A spokesman for Harrogate Borough Council said the new drainage channels meant the water drained quicker than it did previously. He added:

“This area is one of the lowest points so the water will naturally make its way there. Over the coming hours and days this standing water will filter through to the drainage channels and subside. Rather than the weeks that it would have remained there previously.”

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