Two Harrogate mums have launched parent and child classes to combat the impact of covid on local education.

Fiona Cunningham, who teaches at Rigg Farm Montessori Nursery, and Charlotte Davison, who teaches at Grove Road Community Primary School, felt the pandemic stunted young childrens’ speech and language development, as well as “overall school readiness”.

Early Explorer classes will offer sensory story time sessions improve communication and speech skills ahead of starting school.

Ms Cunningham said:

“Having had children of our own we are hoping to provide something we felt was missing in this area.

“As passionate teachers and mums, we noticed the impact that covid had on children’s development in terms of speech and language. We wanted to use our teaching skills and experience to support families and children in the area to inspire a love of learning through sensory stories and experiences.”

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The pair hope the classes will help children better understand narratives, increase vocabulary and cognitive development.

Ms Cunningham added:

“In our classes, stories come to life through a symphony of sights, sounds, textures and scents.

“Through carefully curated tales, interactive props, soothing music and tactile elements, children will embark on a journey of exploration and imagination.”

Once established, Ms Cunningham and Ms Davison hope to offer maths and writing classes too.

“We are so excited to be starting this new project and have enjoyed meeting our first Early Explorers in the recent weeks and can’t wait to welcome even more of you to our sensory story time classes!”

Early Explorers will be held at Staveley & Copgrove Village Hall on Monday mornings, and at Killinghall Village Hall on Friday mornings.

The classes are suitable for parents with babies and children up to the age of 4. Prices start at £9.

Councillors have refused a retrospective planning application after a bathroom manufacturer in the Harrogate district built a warehouse larger than originally agreed.

Abacus Ltd was formed in 1989 and is a manufacturer and distributor of bathroom products to companies including Villeroy & Boch and Wickes.

It employs 85 people and is based at Jubilee Court on the outskirts of Copgrove, near Boroughbridge, alongside 10 other businesses.

In 2019, Abacus won permission from Harrogate Borough Council to build an extension that would see a steel warehouse erected to support the growing business.

However, the company ended up building a bigger structure than what was approved after securing two large commercial deals.

Abacus’ extension in Copgrove

The council’s planning committee met yesterday to consider a retrospective application for the larger extension as well as for a pallet store that had to be relocated elsewhere on the premises.

The application was recommended for approval by officers.

Speaking to councillors, Ian Patterson from Abacus conceded the company should have submitted new plans before starting construction but said the early months of the covid pandemic made this difficult. He said:

“We accept as bathroom manufacturers we are definitely not planning experts. We acknowledge that a material change should have been sought prior to works commencing, but timings due to the lockdown and the pressures of business didn’t enable this.”

High Court quashing

The application to retrospectively build the larger extension was originally approved by the council in October 2021 before being overturned in the High Court in February 2022 after Copgrove resident Justin Appleyard requested a judicial review of the decision.

The High Court overturned the decision because it found the council did not take into account the relocation of the pallet store in its approval.

A different retrospective permission had previously been sought for the pallet store, however, it was refused in January 2021 by the council because it said it was not adequately screened by trees.

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Abacus’ plans received 51 objections with no submissions of support.

Nick Stringer, from Staveley & Copgrove Parish Council, told councillors that the company had on more than one occasion sought planning permission retrospectively after building work had already been done. He added:

“The site is in open countryside close to a beautiful medieval church and overlooks Staveley Nature Reserve which has an abundance of floral and fauna. I suggest the impact on the countryside is severe and unacceptable.”

‘Pimple on a pig’s backside’

Councillors were unconvinced by the application, in part, due to the relocation of the pallet store and its visual impact. Conservative member for Masham and Kirkby Malzeard, Nigel Simms, described it as standing out like a “pimple on a pig’s backside.” He added:

“I have no objection to the storage building being built, what I’m objecting to is the pallet store being stuck out in the middle of nowhere. The screening is not sufficient.”

The committee voted to refuse the application by 9 votes to 3. Abacus Ltd can appeal the decision.

A motorist was lucky to escape serious injury when his car overturned near Knaresborough yesterday.

Traffic Constable David Minto, one of two police officers who attended the scene, tweeted about the incident today.

TC Minto, who is based in Harrogate, said the crash happened near Copgrove, which is five miles from Knaresborough. He added:

“The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

“He was discharged a short while later.”

TC Minto added that no other vehicles were involved.

No further details of the incident are currently available.

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