A construction contract for the £60 million rerouting of a landslide-hit road between Harrogate and Skipton is set to be approved.

North Yorkshire County Council says it has found a preferred bidder to carry out the delayed project, which will see a new carriageway built for the A59 at Kex Gill.

The road is a key east-west link for the county and has been hit by 12 landslides in as many years, leading to diversions for motorists and costs for the council.

In one instance, a landslide in January 2016 shut the road for eight weeks.

The council had hoped works would start last autumn, however, the project has been hit by several delays including objections to compulsory purchase orders that the council made to acquire land for the new route.

Minerals company Sibelco also attempted to call in the project for a public inquiry, but this was rejected by the government.

There is now an aim for construction to begin next January, with completion in early 2025.

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Funding for the project is coming from the Department for Transport, which has agreed to provide £56 million, while the council will make up the rest of the costs.

The council’s executive will be asked to agree to the awarding of the contract to the preferred bidder at a meeting next Tuesday.

But before the contract can be signed off, a final business case for the project will be submitted to the Department for Transport.

A report to Tuesday’s meeting said the road was still causing repair costs for the council which has planned drainage works this month and wants to see a permanent solution in place.

The report said:

“There remains a high risk that there will be further landslips in the future, which could potentially result in long term closures of the route, severely impacting connectivity between Skipton and Harrogate.

“Conversely there is a risk to public safety and economic disruption.

“Whilst short to medium term management measures are continually being undertaken, the county council recognised that in the longer term there was a need to develop proposals for a permanent solution.”

A £5 million North Yorkshire County Council contract handed to four national consultancy firms has been criticised as a “waste of money”.

The contract was awarded to KPMG, Price Waterhouse Coopers, PA Consulting Ltd and Capita Business Service Ltd to give support for the formation of the new unitary authority.

However, councillors have questioned why the contract has been awarded and whether money could be better spent elsewhere.

The council advertised the requirements of the contract as to provide “reorganisation support for North Yorkshire Council”.

The Stray Ferret asked the county council what the consultancy firms will be doing as part of the contract and how much each would be receiving from the £5 million.

Conservative Cllr Gareth Dadd, executive member for finance at the council, said the consultancy firms will be on hand to provide expertise and advice to ensure the new council is “safe and legal”.

Cllr Dadd added that the spend was “necessary” to ensure that taxpayers get value for money from the proposal.

He said:

“The county’s proposals for a single new council with the scale and strength to provide effective public services that are fit for the future and reflect North Yorkshire’s unique rural geography was developed using in-house expertise.

“We did not use consultants for this purpose, but drew on decades of providing nationally acclaimed services to every household in the county to a very high standard.

“However, the complexities and challenges associated with such a major programme of local government reorganisation have meant that we have experts available to help ensure that the new council is safe and legal for when it is launched next year.

“Given the importance of this opportunity, the potential savings to be made and the ultimate prize of the strongest devolution agreement for North Yorkshire and York, some consultancy spend may well be necessary to ensure our proposals do represent best value.

“Each of the four consultancy firms have been selected through an official framework established by the government and are now available if needed to help with the local government reorganisation in North Yorkshire.

“There is no commitment that they will actually be commissioned by the county council for specific projects, but their expertise is available if needed.”

Cllr Dadd added that the new council was estimated to save £260 million over the next five years by streamlining services to one authority.

‘Waste of money’

However, Cllr Stuart Parsons, of the independent group on the county council, said he felt hiring consultants was a “waste of money”.

He said:

“I’m afraid that I think commissioning “consultants” is a waste of time and money. I would rather see that £5 million go to children’s and adult social care – spent there it would actually make a real difference.

“I find that consultants are simply failed officers.”

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Meanwhile, David Goode, chair of the Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats, questioned why the contract was needed.

He said:

“It seems like a phenomenal amount of money to spend on external consultants.

“I can understand why they might need some expertise, but it begs the question of what expertise we have in the council.”

The news comes as the county council is pressing ahead with setting up the new authority

An implementation executive made up of senior councillors has been created to make decisions on what the council will look like.

The new North Yorkshire Council will come into force in April 2023 and will replace the county council and seven districts, including Harrogate Borough Council.

Harrogate Borough Council is set to award a £40,000 contract to create a pet crematorium at Stonefall Cemetery.

The crematorium will be built inside a converted shipping container at the crematorium on Wetherby Road.

The contract would cover the purchase and installation of a cremator, as well as five years maintenance.

Councillors backed plans for the district’s first pet crematorium in March 2022.

Stephen Hemsworth, bereavement services manager at the council, said at the time it was likely to cost about £50 for a rabbit to be cremated and over £200 for a dog.

The contract, which is being advertised on a government procurement website, is expected to start in June this year.

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It says:

“This contract includes the purchase of a pet cremator and container in which the cremator will be housed and operated, including delivery, installation, training and periodic maintenance.

“The anticipated contract value is £40,000.00 for the purchase, delivery, siting and installation of the containerised pet cremator including five years maintenance from the date of installation.”

The move to set up a pet crematorium follows in the footsteps of councils in North East Lincolnshire and Barnsley, which have built similar facilities.

The Harrogate facility will include a “goodbye room” in a converted garage where owners can say final farewells to their pets.

Pateley Bridge artist finalist in Fine Art Awards

Claire Baxter, who has a gallery in Pateley Bridge, has made the top five finalists in the Fine Art Trade Guild artist awards 2022.

Ms Baxter submitted her work Last of the Summer Wine, which is up against five other artists in the ‘Most Published Artist 2022’ category.

Ms Baxter’s work tries to capture Yorkshire through its locations and characters.

She started out hanging her work on the railings in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens hoping for some sales. Now she employs a gallery manager and a gallery assistant at her gallery in the Nidderdale town.

She said:

“I am absolutely thrilled and very excited to be a finalist. Even if I don’t win, to me, I’ve already won by coming this far. I paint because I love what I do and the joy of being able to put my thoughts and visions into the reality of a scene for others to enjoy is very rewarding.

“I never thought that a national award would be in my reach when I was starting out as it hasn’t been an easy journey.”

Harrogate communications firm wins London contract

A Harrogate communications agency has won a contract to support a London commercial cleaning company.

The Big Bamboo Agency will support Julius Rutherfoord & Co with bid and proposal work as well as email marketing communications campaigns.

Julius Rutherfoord & Co, which was founded in 1994, provides commercial cleaning services to organisations including Cushman & Wakefield, MADE.com and City, University of London.

Nicola Stamford, founding and director, Big Bamboo, said:

“With a strong background in the facilities management industry, our team is well positioned to support JR & Co in achieving its future vision. We are delighted to be supporting them on their journey and we look forward to our relationship developing over time.”

Medieval pop-up museum window display to arrive in Harrogate

Bethany Allen (left), Harrogate BID business and marketing executive and Sarah Checkland, The Jorvik Group of Attractions exhibitions manager, hold two uroscopy flasks which will feature in the pop-up museum.

Harrogate Business Improvement District has partnered with The Jorvik Group to install a medieval window display in the Victoria Shopping Centre over the Easter holidays.

The group, which is behind the tourist hotspot Jorvik Viking Centre in York, will show artefacts between April 1 and May 2.

Visitors can explore a wealth of information online and consider the display’s themes in more detail. Reconstructions, videos and an exclusive short film, written by Terry Deary – author of the Horrible Histories series – entitled A Touch of Plague, can all be accessed via QR codes.

Harrogate BID manager Matthew Chapman said:

“We are really excited to be bringing Window on the Past to Harrogate this April, which will give families another great reason to come into town during the Easter holidays.”

Harrogate marketing agency to oversee fashion week 

The team from Marketing Adventures.

A Harrogate marketing agency has been chosen to head-up Northern Fashion Week.

Marketing Adventures will oversee the marketing for the event, which takes place from July 7-9.

It is aimed at championing northern talent and will place a spotlight on the “vast opportunities” in the north.

Brogan Huntington, creative director of Marketing Adventures, said:

“We will be supporting all of the fashion powerhouses, influencers and designers in showcasing diversity, culture and the importance of Northern fashion.

“The fashion week is set to be the biggest and most exclusive event that has ever hit the North and we delighted to have the opportunity to be heading up the marketing.

“It is bringing a huge opportunity to Harrogate and the local areas for influencers, fashion designers and brands.”

Marketing Adventures is set to hold exclusive events in restaurants and bars in Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool prior to the launch in June.

Solicitor Rachel Baul joins LCF Law

Rachel Baul

A family and matrimonial law solicitor from Harrogate with two decades of experience in the town has joined LCF Law.

Rachel Baul advises clients on divorce, judicial separation, the dissolution of civil partnerships and cohabitation law. She also specialises in drafting cohabitation, pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements for people who have assets they want to protect.

Ms Baul has knowledge of agricultural valuations, subsidies, inheritance considerations, and how the courts approach these matters, means she regularly represents farming clients.

She also has a great deal of experience dealing with cases involving significant and complex financial assets on and offshore, and she also regularly represents sportspeople and medical professionals.

Ms Baul said:

“I wanted to move to LCF Law because I was keen to work at a progressive firm that values its team.

“Since expanding into Harrogate in 2015 with the acquisition of Barber Titleys, LCF Law has made a big impact in the town, and I have admired the firm’s drive to exceed client expectations, all whilst supporting its staff and the local community.”

Harrogate Borough Council has awarded a £1.1m contract to Dutch firm Arcadis to design the first phase of the £47 million redevelopment of Harrogate Convention Centre.

The firm was appointed following a procurement process using YORconsult2, which helps local authorities find consultants.

Arcadis employs 28,000 people in 70 countries, including the UK.

The council has been criticised previously for not working with local firms, including when it appointed Ipswich firm Jacob Bailey last year to redevelop its tourism website Visit Harrogate without a competitive tender process.

A council spokesman said:

“Arcadis will also work with a number of highly skilled, local and regional architects, engineers and specialists.”

The convention centre, which is due to return to council control next month after operating as a Nightingale hospital for a year, usually attracts 157,000 visitors a year. The council estimates its annual economic impact to be £35m.

But although the venue brings significant income to the district, the building itself makes a loss and requires a subsidy.

According to council documents, the building is now in ‘critical need of investment’.

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The council has estimated that doing nothing would cost at least £19m in long-term maintenance.

It has therefore agreed to a £46.8m redevelopment delivered in two phases.

Arcadis will provide the design development and detailed feasibility of phase one, including an options appraisal into the district heating system. The council will then decide whether to proceed to phase two.

The council has also agreed to appoint a project manager for three years at a cost of £155,000, funded by borrowing.