Knaresborough will begin two days of festive fun when its Christmas Market Weekend gets underway tomorrow.

The Christmas market, which takes place from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and 10am to 4.30pm on Sunday, is the centrepiece of a host of activities around the town.

The market will feature about 65 stalls, food and free entertainment, including Morris dancers, music and singing.

Many Knaresborough traders are staying open until 7pm for late night shopping on Saturday.

Elsewhere, more than 70 decorated Christmas trees will be on display in St John’s Church for the annual Great Knaresborough Christmas Tree Festival. The festival, which is free to enter, begins tomorrow and runs until December 23.

The Christmas tree festival

Holy Trinity Church on Briggate is running a Christmas fair tomorrow and Sunday.

The weekend will close with a 10-minute firework finale, set against the backdrop of Knaresborough viaduct and the Nidd Gorge, at 4.30pm on Sunday.

Event co-sponsor 1858 Bar & Restaurant will hold an after-party following the firework finale.

Parking in Knaresborough is limited. A free park and ride service will operate from the GSPK car park on Manse Lane (postcode HG5 8LF) to the town centre from 8am to 5.30pm both days.

The new banking hub on Kirkgate will open for counter services between 9am to 5pm both days, which will enable people to withdraw cash.

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Councillors have granted an alcohol licence for a new bar and restaurant inside Knaresborough’s former Natwest bank, despite concerns from nearby residents about late-night noise.

North Yorkshire Council’s statutory licensing sub-committee met this morning at the Civic Centre in Harrogate to consider an application by Jaime Wilkinson for a new venue called 1858 Bar and Restaurant inside the former bank, which closed in 2017.

The venue on the town’s High Street will be run by Kim Lancaster, who was previously a manager of So Bar and Eats in the town centre for six years before working with Mr Wilkinson at the Drakes fish and chip shops that he owns.

Ms Lancaster told councillors the venue would be based around “elegant fine dining” which is something she believes Knaresborough is currently lacking.

She said they want customers to spend long periods inside enjoying food and drink instead of being a “Wetherspoons quick in-and-out” type experience.

Ms Lancaster also said on Bed Race day in June, which is traditionally the biggest day of the year for the town’s bars and pubs, customers would have to pre-book and if they show any signs of trouble they’d be asked to leave.

She added:

“We want people coming in not just for alcohol but for coffee and lunch. We’re trying to bring back something to Knaresborough that people can’t wait for. People are going to Harrogate [instead]. We’ve spent a lot of money and want to do it right with the right clientele.”

Residents who live to the rear of the building had objected to the application as the plans said people would be allowed to drink outside, close to their homes.

But these plans were amended before the meeting to ensure that alcohol is only consumed inside, which satisfied the five objectors who attended the meeting.

Mr Wilkinson proposed the new venue is able to sell alcohol from 10am until midnight seven days a week and each of the five residents spoke to raise objections to these hours.

Toby Woodhall said revellers leaving the venue late at night could impact on family life so he wanted conditions attached so alcohol would stop being served earlier in the evening.
He said:

“I myself am planning a family, really enjoy the town and want to ensure we can live undisturbed.”

However, the three councillors sitting on the committee ultimately decided to approve the proposed hours and the conditions already agreed between Mr Wilkinson, North Yorkshire Police and the council.

They added conditions to ensure all windows and doors are closed after 11pm, the rear area is not used by customers except during emergencies and there are no external speakers placed outside the premises.

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A new bar and restaurant could be opened in Knaresborough if a licence is granted by North Yorkshire Council next week.

An application has been made for an alcohol licence at the former Natwest bank premises at 42 High Street.

Planning permission was granted last year to convert the ground floor into a cafe and sports therapy rooms.

Now, owner Jaime Wilkinson is seeking a licence to sell alcohol until midnight seven days a week, under the business name 1858 Bar and Restaurant Ltd.

Mr Wilkinson has requested extended opening hours until 2am on bank holidays, including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The application also states there will be live music until 11pm.

As part of the application, Mr Wilkinson said there will be a “higher retail price for alcohol than other venues in Knaresborough to restrict over drinking and commotion”.

He also committed to install CCTV at the premises, as one of a number of conditions suggested by North Yorkshire Police’s licensing officer.

However, there have been five objections to the plans submitted to the council.

One nearby resident said an alcohol licence until midnight and reference to the premises as a bar is not in line with the planning approval given last year. They said:

“Harrogate Borough Council conducted a public hearing for a former license (sic) application and the resulting decision limited operation and licensing hours to strict terms and much earlier hours than those being applied for again here.

“We kindly ask the team and [North Yorkshire] Council to review the former hearing outcome and consider this in review of this latest application, where all points we believe are relevant, as are the views of those objecting and as such the restrictions should adhere again here to this license (sic) at the least, if indeed permitted at all.”

The application will be decided by North Yorkshire Council’s licensing committee at a meeting next Thursday.

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