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.

Read More:

• ‘Badly let down’ Woodfield school closure confirmed
• Time to sparkle: Your guide to Christmas lights switch-ons across the district

When will the council clear the leaves? 

When will harrogate Council begin clearing all the autumn leaves from the pavements and gutters? We live on a tree-lined road but to date Harrogate Borough Council have not cleared any of the leaves from the pavements and the gutters.

The pavements are impacted with wet leaves which is a hazard for elderly residents and all of the gullies are blocked causing water to accumulate at the bottom of the road. Many neighbouring councils publish start dates for clearing leaves, some of which began at the end of October, and detail the roads which are to be cleared.

Harrogate Borough Council does not publish any  information which raises concerns as to when they are going to address the problem of clearing the leaves on pavements and blocked gullies on the many tree-lined streets in the area.

Jane Hill, Harrogate

The site of Woodfield Community Primary School should continue to be used for education in future, according to Harrogate and Knaresborough’s MP.

Andrew Jones said he has been working to ensure that will be the case after the school closes its doors for good on December 31.

Mr Jones told North Yorkshire County Council‘s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee he had already spoken to people interested in using it for education. He said:

“The story of Woodfield is a sad one because that school has been losing numbers for quite some time, like many years. It got down to one child.

“I don’t want to see that site lost for education provision and I’ve made some suggestions, contacted the council with those suggestions, been contacted by educational providers interested in the site, and have put the two together. I’m hoping we will see continued education on that site at the earliest opportunity.”

Woodfield has been forced to close after being rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted. It was told it must join an academy trust, but failed to secure a deal and its closure was confirmed last month.

Mr Jones said its facilities, including “significant grounds” and the community library on site, meant “the ingredients for a really good school are there”.

Asked by councillors about the approaches he had had, Mr Jones said they were from people “interested in opening a facility for special educational needs” .

Read more:

• Council to explore ‘alternative educational uses’ for Woodfield school
• ‘Badly let down’ Woodfield school closure confirmed

Councillors on the area constituency committee also asked him what was being done to address the gap in funding which saw North Yorkshire placed 144th out of 151 local authorities in terms of its funding for special educational needs.

Liberal Democrat councillor Chris Aldred, who represents the High Harrogate and Kingsley division, said:

“The council is lobbying the local MPs and I understand they’ve written to you. Are you able to give any further update?

“I’m guessing that links into the groups you’ve been talking about, but has there been any real progress on finding that additional money to support North Yorkshire County Council and those people that need that additional funding?”

Mr Jones said he had been working closely with leaders at North Yorkshire County Council to ensure they accessed as much funding as possible.  He said:

“I endlessly lobby on behalf of our area because we do have some individual challenges. Sometimes they can be funding, sometimes it’s the high population density in one area – Harrogate and Scarborough – but the low population density for the rest of our county, which does present operational challenges.

“I can’t say that everything has changed but I can say that this is work in progress and is one of the areas where I’m working with the leadership team of the council and will continue to do so.”

He added:

“I think we will hear more about spending at the autumn statement. Just recognise that our area has fantastic educational provision and I will continue as I have to support the funding formula and the educational providers.

“You get one chance with education for children. That’s why it has to be the best we can do and that’s the approach I’ve taken throughout my time in parliament.”

The possibility of the River Nidd at Knaresborough achieving bathing water status has been debated in Parliament.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones secured the adjournment debate for the topic last night.

The Conservative told the house he wanted to achieve the status for the area at the Lido Leisure Park, which could become one of just a handful of rivers in the country to have it. He said:

“Of course the issue of water quality is not confined to one area, and while we have many designated bathing areas around our coast, there are very few inland areas and those few are overwhelmingly lakes, not rivers.

“Indeed, looking at the data from the Outdoor Swimming Society, 98% of areas with bathing water status are coastal.

“There is one river in our area of Yorkshire that has achieved that status, and it is the River Wharfe in Ilkley…

“The purpose of seeking this debate was to highlight that many more rivers must be awarded bathing water status right across our country and to promote our campaign for the River Nidd in Knaresborough.”

Mr Jones posted this picture with Frank Maguire, owner of the lido caravan park, on his website.

Mr Jones recently visited the 550-home lido, which is the focus of his campaign.

He told Parliament the recently-passed Environment Act would help progress measures to improve water quality by requiring combined sewer overflows (CSOs) to be monitored all the time. This would show how often and how much sewage was discharged into rivers including the Nidd.

In response, Trudy Harrison, parliamentary under-secretary for environment, food and rural affairs, said:

“Our aim is to announce which new sites will be eligible to be designated before the start of the next bathing season, which is officially May 15, 2023, so get your Speedos ready—other outfits are available.

“We look forward to receiving the application for the River Nidd in the very near future, and I will be delighted to work with my honourable friend, the member for Harrogate and Knaresborough.”

Read more:

• Campaign launched to achieve bathing water status on River Nidd
• Meeting called to hear concerns about state of River Nidd

Speaking to today’s meeting of North Yorkshire County Council‘s Harrogate and Knaresborough Area Constituency Committee, Mr Jones said he had contacted numerous local organisations about the river.

He said the owners of the lido, as well as landowners along the river, the Nidd Catchment Angling group, and wild swimming groups had all been contacted to ask for their support.

However, Liberal Democrats questioned why Mr Jones had not spoken to the area constituency committee, when they had raised the issue at a previous meeting and had been working with local volunteers to make progress.

Cllr Hannah Gostlow, who represents Knaresborough East, said:

“Can I ask why, months later, you have announced you are doing exactly the same? Rather than duplicating effort, will you pledge to put your support behind the work of the area committee, local town councillors and our community in Knaresborough?

“This report is going to take hours of volunteer work to gain the evidence required. This is a team effort, as you mentioned, but it’s a community effort and the area committee are at the forefront of that, along with our Knaresborough town councillors.”

Mr Jones said he recognised it was a team effort and would require the involvement of both local and national government, as well as community groups and businesses.

However, he said the area constituency committee had not contacted him about its plans, so he had been “getting on with it”.

He added:

“I hope that we can all work together on this matter because I don’t think it will be achieved individually. Many actions will need to come together.”

Read more:

• Revealed: the three Harrogate district sites that could become investment zones
• Andrew Jones MP launches ‘non-political’ fact-checking service

Green Party rejects Mr Jones’ claims

Paul Ko Ferrigno

But Harrogate and District Green Party prospective parliamentary candidate Paul Ko Ferrigno criticised Mr Jones’ stance.

“Like his government, Mr Jones has had 12 long years to establish his green credentials, and it is on that track record that he must be judged, not some aspirational scheme that has been rushed in so quickly that councillors have not been given time to scrutinise the detail.

“It isn’t even clear that these investment zones are needed because we haven’t been told which regulations are potentially holding schemes back.”

Business support

Lilla Bathurst, manager of Ripon Business Improvement District, backed the county council’s submission. She said:

“Whilst the Potter Space is outside the Ripon BID area, we welcome any investment into the Ripon city region.

“The potential for more businesses and employment in the area, and therefore further footfall and spend in our BID businesses, can only be a positive and we fully support Cllr Carl Les and North Yorkshire County Council in their submission.”

However, the North Yorkshire branch of Unison took a different view:

We share the concerns of @WildlifeTrusts, and our branch committee has voted unanimously to oppose #InvestmentZones and we arw asking @northyorkscc to withdraw its interest.@AJonesMP @nadams @JulianSmithUK @JulianSturdy @RishiSunak @kevinhollinrake

@ChrisGPackham https://t.co/3oHgEsdb3u

— North Yorkshire UNISON (@NYUnison) October 15, 2022

The three Conservative MPs whose constituencies include the Harrogate district have declined to comment on today’s emergency statement.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt reversed almost all of Prime Minister Liz Truss’s tax cuts, which were announced in the government’s mini-budget three weeks ago.

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, welcomed last month’s growth plan, saying on his Community News website:

“There are a huge number of measures, many focused on our productivity and investment which are the platforms for future growth. So, plenty to be positive about here in Harrogate and Knaresborough.”

Today we asked Mr Jones, along with Julian Smith, who represents Skipton and Ripon, and Nigel Adams, who represents Selby and Ainsty, to comment on today’s announcement by Mr Hunt.

We also asked them whether the Prime Minister should resign, after three Conservative MPs called for her to do so.

Neither Mr Jones nor Mr Smith had replied by the time of publication.

Read more:

• Andrew Jones MP launches ‘non-political’ fact-checking service
• Harrogate business chief: government’s economic credentials ‘in tatters’

Mr Smith was critical of the tax cutting agenda in last month’s mini-budget. He said at the time:

“In a statement with many positive enterprise measures this huge tax cut for the very rich at a time of national crisis and real fear and anxiety amongst low income workers and citizens is wrong.”

Maire Crosse, Mr Adams’ senior parliamentary assistant, did reply but only to say:

“Nigel is away today and not contactable. Therefore, he will not be providing a comment.”

Tactical voting could swing Harrogate and Knaresborough to Lib Dems, poll says

The Liberal Democrats could take Harrogate and Knaresborough off the Conservatives at the next general election if people vote tactically, a poll suggests.

The New Statesman published an article today about the impact of tactical voting at the next election.

The findings are based on questions put to 2,500 voters a week ago by polling company Redfield & Wilton Strategies.

It forecasts tactical voting would lead to a Labour landslide and reduce the Conservatives to just eight seats in northern England — with Mr Jones among the victims.

Data by New Statesman and Redfield & Wilton Strategies

The article says Conservative Andrew Jones is currently set to win in Harrogate and Knaresborough for the fifth consecutive time, taking 35% of the vote compared with 32% for the Liberal Democrats and 25% for Labour.

But with tactical voting, the Liberal Democrats would win with 42% compared with 37% for Mr Jones. Labour’s vote would slump to 13%.

The figures are extrapolated from YouGov polling in May, which revealed 50% of Labour voters would consider voting for the Liberal Democrats — but just 13% would consider voting for the Conservatives. The article says:

“Tactical voting would see some voters switch to the Conservatives, without doubt, but the overwhelming majority who would change their vote would change it against them.”

Applied nationally, both for Con-Lib marginal seats and Con-Lab marginal seats, three to four dozen seats would change hands.

The Conservatives would win just 117 seats overall, the Liberal Democrats would win 41 and Labour would end up with 408 seats.

Read more:

• Sir Ed Davey: Lib Dems will target Harrogate and Knaresborough as key seat
• Andrew Jones MP launches ‘non-political’ fact-checking service

The article warns:

“These types of polling questions come with a health warning about hypothetical data, but they can aid us in modelling the next election.

“They let us look at seats where the Lib Dems are in second and gauge how many Labour voters might switch to help them over the line.”

The Liberal Democrats upgraded Harrogate and Knaresborough to a target seat this year, which prompted the selection process for its next prospective parliamentary candidate to be restarted.

Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has started posting fact-check videos on his new Instagram account.

The Conservative MP published his first video, which was about the government’s proposed new investment zones, on Friday.

North Yorkshire County Council is one of 38 local authorities in talks with the government about introducing the zones, in which businesses could benefit from lower taxes and liberalised planning rules.

The RSPB charity has labelled the zones an “unprecedented attack on nature” because of the impact they could have on wildlife.

Introducing the series, Mr Jones says fact-check Friday will be “an occasional series where we just present facts — no politics”.

He then highlights how some people are worried the zones  “will mean concreting over green belt and downgraded environmental standards” but he then adds the the government “has made it clear this isn’t the case”.

The video cuts to footage of new Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena saying he is committed to helping farmers curate the countryside. Mr Jones then says:

“Investment zones can take derelict but previously developed sites and transfer them into thriving net zero communities.

“A good example might be the Ripon barracks site. That’s the kind of thing that we should be looking for investment zones to do.”

Mr Jones has 75 followers on Instagram and his video has so far attracted five likes.

Read more:

• Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones joins Instagram
• Green Party chooses man to fight Andrew Jones in Harrogate and Knaresborough

Liberal Democrats and Greens respond

David Goode, chair of Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats, said:

“Mr Jones says in his fact-check piece to camera that he will hold the government to account. Let us not forget, he is a Conservative MP, part of the Conservative Party who run the government.

“A government that have just pushed the pound to a record low and caused mortgage chaos for thousands of families. A government that has removed the bankers’ bonus cap at a time when some people can not even afford to put the heating on. Those facts we are dealing with.

“What has Mr Jones done to hold the government to account for this botched mini-budget and its disastrous outcomes?”

Paul Ko Ferrigno, who was named as the Green Party’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough last month, said:

“Mr Jones says that he intends to ensure that the government’s proposed investment zones will not lead to a deterioration in environmental protections, so I’d like to work with Mr Jones to ensure that current designated protected sites such as national parks, areas of outstanding national beauty, sites of special scientific interest, designated green belt land and buffer zones that surround world heritage sites in Yorkshire will be protected, and not sacrificed to short term economic pressures.

“The fact that these zones are not explicitly protected under the government proposals is worrying.”

Liz Truss may have only just entered Downing Street but opposition parties in Harrogate and Knaresborough have begun manoeuvrings for the next general election.

This week the Green Party became the first to name its prospective parliamentary candidate. The Liberal Democrats are expected to follow suit by the end of the year.

Conservative Andrew Jones has won four successive elections in Harrogate and Knaresborough since 2010, securing 53% of the vote at the last campaign in 2019.

The next election is widely expected to take place in 2024 — and some think his biggest threat comes from opposition parties working together rather than splitting the vote. But the early signs are this is unlikely to happen.

There was little appetite for a pact at a Green Party hustings event this week. Paul Ko Ferrigno, the only candidate standing for leadership, insisted he was fighting to win, and even if he didn’t he was more interested in shaping the debate than doing deals.

Asked if he was willing to risk letting the Tories in with this approach, Mr Ko Ferrigno said:

“Yes — but if what I’ve done is shift the conversation so the next time round the Tories are being more green in their approach, more forward in their approach, because of the way we have been campaigning, then that’s OK.”

The Greens still harbour ill feeling from the last election, when their candidate, Shan Oakes, stood down.

Green Party members at this week’s hustings.

Arnold Warneken, who represents Ouseburn for the Greens on North Yorkshire County Council, told this week’s meeting:

“We had a national agreement with Lib Dems. Shan agreed to stand aside. The problem with that is you have to trust the people you deal with.

“The trust for us has disappeared. That’s not good for a future progressive alliance.”

Cllr Warneken added, however, that a final decision on pacts would be taken locally.

Labour and Lib Dems

The Stray Ferret asked Chris Watt, vice-chair, Harrogate & Knaresborough Labour Party, which took 11% of the vote in 2019, if it would consider an opposition pact. He replied:

“Being a much larger party, Labour operates a national system with local parties making the final decision on their candidate.”

Mr Watt added Harrogate and Knaresborough Labour “have asked to move forward with selecting a candidate as soon as possible”.

Read more:

• Green Party chooses man to fight Andrew Jones in Harrogate and Knaresborough
• Andrew Jones MP hits back over sewage vote

The process to select a Liberal Democrat candidate is being re-run after the national Lib Dems upgraded Harrogate and Knaresborough to a target seat.

“I’m hoping to have the procedures completed Christmas time.”

About 100 floral tributes to the Queen have now been placed at Harrogate war memorial.

People began laying flowers shortly after the Queen’s death was announced on Thursday.

The number has grown steadily since, with many accompanied by moving handwritten notes, some written by children.

Yesterday, Andrew Jones, the MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, signed the book of condolence at St. Peter’s Church in Harrogate.

Mr Jones had previously attended the choral matins special memorial service for the Queen.

St. Peter’s is open from 8:30am-6-30pm every day during the period of mourning where there is a book of condolence that people can write in.

Also, on Wednesday and Friday at 12noon there will be a short act of prayer.

Andrew Jones signs the book of condolences at St Peter’s Church. Credit: Steve Martin

At County Hall in Northallerton, councillor Margaret Atkinson, who is chair of the council and represents Masham and Fountains, read the local proclamation of King Charles III yesterday.

Today, the local proclamation of King Charles III was read by Cllr Margaret Atkinson, Chair of the Council, on the steps of County Hall in Northallerton.

God save the King. pic.twitter.com/AKgSitiNlh

— North Yorkshire Council (@northyorksc) September 11, 2022

Read more:

• Nidderdale Show moved after date of Queen’s funeral announced
• ‘I was so very lucky to have met her’ — Former director of Great Yorkshire Show pays tribute to the Queen

Travellers have pitched up on the Stray in Harrogate for a second time this summer.

An encampment has appeared on a section of the parkland between Oatlands Drive and Stray Rein. Several vehicles are on site,

Harrogate Borough Council is the legal protector of the Stray. Asked if it was aware of the Travellers’ arrival, a council spokesman said:

“We are indeed and will be following the normal procedure to ensure they are moved on swiftly.”

The scene on the Stray today,

Read more:

• Travellers arrive on Oatlands Park in Harrogate
• Calls for more temporary sites for Travellers in Harrogate district
• Andrew Jones MP writes to Priti Patel about ‘law-breaking’ Travellers

A recent spate of arrivals by Travellers in the Harrogate district has led to calls to provide more designated temporary sites.

Six caravans and several cars arrived near to Oatlands Drive on the Stray in the week leading up to Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria.

Last month Travellers also pitched up on Oatlands Park, off Hookstone Road,

On both occasions, the council instigated legal proceedings and the Travellers moved on quickly.

But more friction occurred when Travellers parked on the old rugby field at Knaresborough this summer.

It prompted Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, to write to Home Secretary Priti Patel complaining of “disorder and anti-social behaviour completely off the scale compared to that associated with previous traveller encampments in our area”.