The owner of Alexa House guest house in Harrogate has submitted plans to convert the building to seven apartments.

Sandra Doherty, who is also chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, told the Stray Ferret she planned to retire.

Ms Doherty will, however, continue her role with the chamber. She said:

“It was falling last year and breaking both arms that finally made my mind up. That and requests for seeing my grandchildren more.

“Covid hasn’t helped as I hoped to enjoy one last year, especially with my regular guests who I have become such good friends with over the past 14 years.”

Read more:

• Harrogate bed and breakfast diversifies to survive coronavirus
• Struggling businesses need events to be kept in Harrogate

Plans sent to Harrogate Borough Council request change of use from hotel to seven residential apartments at the site on Ripon Road.

The application also proposes to demolish existing extensions and outbuildings, create a rear extension and remodel the car park.

Strayside Sunday is our weekly political column written by Paul Baverstock, former Director of Communications for the Conservative Party:

Not too long ago, in the early days of Boris Johnson’s recovery from Covid, our chastened PM admitted that the width of his seat was a contributory factor to the severity of his brush with the dread virus.  Brought low by the bug, he ‘for one’, was going to lose weight, and, in so doing, provide an example to the rest of us.  Echoing his Tory forebear Stormin’ Norman Tebbit, Boris implored us to get on our bikes, this time for the worthy purpose of exercise, (and greener transport) rather than in pursuit of scarce work.  Heart healthy you might say, rather than heart-less.

This week, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that he is going to be paying us (or, more accurately, paying the hospitality industry for us) to dine.  We have been asked to “eat out to help out,” this an eye-catching part of his £30b emergency stimulus package for our covid-ravaged economy.  Rish the Dish has found Dosh for Nosh; up to a discount limit of £10 per head.  This does of course mean that the world has officially gone mad; we can now boast a Conservative Government so interventionist it is promoting a basic bodily function.  Whatever next; red wine with fish? White jeans after November 1st? Where will it end?

To my mind however there are serious policy issues here: Obesity and public health; and the over-reliance of the UK economy on services (and particularly hospitality).  As a nation we rank 6^th in the global obesity rankings.  As such, obesity isn’t just a risk factor for covid symptom severity, it also costs the NHS almost £10b every year to treat its deleterious health effects.  I don’t blame people for being overweight, indeed, to my chagrin, I’m carrying a few extra pounds myself.  Nor do I accept that a focus on reducing obesity is, by definition, a class-based attack on those at the bottom end of the social scale, more often caught in possession of a high Body Mass Index than the rest of us.  We simply all have to get thinner, improve our health, avoid hospitals and leave the NHS free to treat serious illnesses, seasonal flu’s and future pandemics.

On the subject of food, Harrogate’s hospitality business owners let out a huge collective sigh of relief when allowed finally to open last weekend, albeit with social distancing regimens in place alongside ersatz “be wise, sanitise!” signs.  With fingers crossed tightly that we avoid a covid second wave, I for one hope that Harrogate’s residents feel able to turn out and support our local and independent hospitality businesses.  As with hospitality venues around the UK, venues in Harrogate are at risk, and the town can ill afford to lose them.  But as we move past covid response, we must build a newly diverse and resilient local economy, one in which the current over-reliance on hospitality is addressed directly in the council town plan.

The Anglo-Irish philosopher Edmund Burke said of being an MP that “your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays instead of serves you if he sacrifices it to your opinion.”  And I agree with that.  It’s my belief that by creating a public discourse in which our MP’s are expected to act simply as a megaphone for local views (nothing enrages me more than to hear the lazy “what I hear on the doorstep is…”) we diminish the quality of our national politics and impose constraints and limits on our local politics.  As such we get the mediocre politics and politicians we deserve. Rather than thinking statesmen and woman of character in parliament, and outstanding municipal leaders closer to home, we get neither.  Instead, in our apathy, we must resign ourselves to obsequious lobby fodder in Westminster and to unchecked incompetence in our councils.  We should demand more of ourselves – intellectually and practically – and of our representatives.

To that end The Stray Ferret makes a point of reporting on the activities of our two local MPs, Andrew Jones in Harrogate and Julian Smith in Ripon.  In the month of June, for example, our parliamentary representatives voted against weekly covid testing for NHS staff members and voted against legal protections and the provision of help for migrant victims of domestic abuse.  But it’s so much less interesting to know how the MPs voted than it would be to know why they did so.

Try as we might, and we have asked repeatedly, we have yet to receive any explanation of why our MPs cast their vote in the manner they did.  Were they to engage with their electorate (you, me, us), whether directly, or through this and other media outlets, in order to explain their intellectual and principled positions, then two beneficial consequences would follow;  first, we would understand better the judgements they make in our name, and, second, we would support better the decisions they make in the face of our opinions.

Harrogate Council made a decision this week when it gave final approval to its overhaul of leisure service provision, with the opposition Lib Dems voting in favour.  Their 7 votes were secured because they tabled successful amendments to the motion supporting “affordable pricing, accountability and worker’s rights.”  Who can argue with that?  And I’m all in favour of constructive opposition and pragmatism, however, as a matter of bald politics, the Lib Dems always seem to get it wrong.  Come the reckoning Councillor Pat Marsh and her well-meaning team will not be able to say that they took a position of principle – against the privatisation of the leisure we should all be encouraged to take more of for the sake both of our waistlines and long-term health – and fought it to the last.  Instead they will be complicit in Harrogate Council’s decision to place leisure provision at arms-length, as the expression makes plain, away from the body and beating heart of government where it ought to be.

That’s my Strayside Sunday.

Read More:

• Council takes final vote to over-haul leisure services 
• Council leader says race comments by parish councillor are “deplorable”

Do you have anything you want to say to Paul or think there is a specific subject he should be writing about?

You can get in touch at paul@thestrayferret.co.uk

Harrogate Borough Council is in the process of removing young trees from West Park Stray which are of ‘low vitality.’

A total of 12 trees have been identified by the arboricultural team to be removed, these will then be replaced with 26 new trees planted in autumn.

The council has said it is taking action quick to allow for felling to take place before the reseeding work, in order to not disturb the site in the future.

The West Park Stray is currently being re-seeded and repaired after damage caused from the 2019 UCI Road World Championships. Harrogate Borough Council estimated that the work would cost close to £130,000

Read more: 

• Council make controversial decision in regard to Stray repairs 
• Henshaws art centre closed due to coronavirus 

The council’s took a controversial decision to award a direct contract to a Lancashire firm for the restoration work, rather than put it out to tender – the contract was labelled as “urgent”.

The decision upset local contractors who were unhappy that they weren’t asked to do the work.

Harrogate Borough Council has announced a £2.3 million new scheme to support smaller businesses in the district such as charities and bed and breakfasts.

The discretionary grant aims to help those businesses that may have previously missed out on other coronavirus grants. The government allowed grants of up to £25,000 to be offered, but the council has capped this at £10,000 to help as many businesses as possible.

As a discretionary grant the council has more input into the final decision process, in comparison to previous grants offered during the crisis.

In particular, B&B owners are hoped to benefit from the scheme. The eligibility criteria also includes charities and small businesses including those in shared offices and flexible workspaces. The businesses must have been trading before 11 March 2020 and have fewer than 50 employees.

One bed and breakfast owner from the Harrogate District, who wanted to stay anonymous, said:

I’ve had no income since the second week of March and there are things we have to continue paying for so if we got any money it would mean I don’t have to pay it all. This grant is the difference between re-opening soon or being unable to.”

B&B’s are still awaiting formal notice that they can re-open, but before then grants allow them to secure some income.

Read more: 

• The council have been given over £140,000 from the government to re-open the high street. 
• Harrogate charity, Wellsprings therapy and training, have launched a fundraising appeal to help more people in need during lockdown. 

Kimberley Wilson, the chairman of accommodation Harrogate, said:

“In Harrogate most bed and breakfasts were covered by the initial grant. We are hoping the few that weren’t covered will now be able to access this discretionary grant to help their business in the future”.

Knaresborough and Ripon markets won’t be fully re-opening this week- despite the government relaxing restrictions.

From Monday markets can open if social distancing guidelines are in place. But Harrogate Borough Council has chosen to delay fully opening the markets until next week, saying it wants to put more safety systems in place.

After seeing markets in Leeds and Barnsley re-opening fully, Ripon market traders were confused by the council’s decision.

The market stallholders representative at Ripon market, Brian Murphy said:

“I only heard from the council on Monday evening that we would not have a full market on Thursday. This has come as a surprise and disappointment to a number of non-food traders who hoped to be back after being unable to trade for weeks.”

Essential stalls such as those selling fruit and vegetables have remained open but other sellers have had to stay away.

Read more:

• Safety first at Ripon market as traders plead with customers to adhere to social distancing rules.
• Knaresborough prepares to reopen shops safely on the 15th June. 

However, Steve Teggin, the President of the Knaresborough Chamber of Trade thought this was a sensible decision:

“The council have been sensible to make this decision, they need to take time to see how it goes. There’s no way that we can accommodate all the stalls, so I think it’s the right decision. The health and safety would allow for 25 market stalls to open but road closures would be needed to accommodate this. The difficulty comes when they have to decide who to allow to return to their stalls.”

Mr Teggin said he thought it was likely there would be staggered approach to opening and that the chamber is having a meeting with the council later this week to discuss it.

Flaxby Park Ltd has launched a judicial review into the controversial decision to build a major extension to Green Hammerton.

After a bitter debate over where to build thousands of new homes in the east of the district, Harrogate Borough Council formally adopted its local plan in March and took the decision to build at Green Hammerton.

The local plan was backed by the government’s Planning Inspector, Richard Schofield, despite a long fought battle from residents in Green Hammerton who argued strongly that it was not required.

It will see up to 3,000 new homes built and extended into nearby Kirk Hammerton and Cattal.

But residents of Green Hammerton said the better option was to build the homes in Flaxby, while land owners in Flaxby agreed that the village’s disused golf course would be a good site for new houses.

But the council went ahead and adopted its plan and now faces a review over whether its decision was lawful or not.

Flaxby Park Ltd, the developer behind the Flaxby site, confirmed it has launched a judicial review into the decision but could not comment further at this time.

Chris Eaton, co-chair of the Keep The Hammertons Green Action Group (KTHG), said residents will get behind the review. He said:

“KTHG produced evidence-based and persuasive arguments that demonstrate that a new settlement is not required and, if even if it were, there are better locations, such as at Flaxby Park.

“We were most disappointed with the inspector’s report on the examination of the Harrogate District Plan that was published in January 2020.

“KTHG said at the time that we do not agree with or accept those parts of the Inspector’s report which relate to the requirement for a new settlement and the selection of its location in the broad location of Green Hammerton and Cattal.

“We are not surprised to hear that the potential developers of the Flaxby site are mounting a legal challenge and we shall follow the matter with great interest.”

What is a judicial review?

A judicial review is when a claimant asks for a review of a decision made by a government body or local authority.

The review looks at whether or not the decision made was lawful and followed the right procedure.

If it is found to be unlawful, it could mean the decision has to be made again.

The public sector workers union, unison, has called on a small minority of residents of the Harrogate district to stop verbally abusing the bin collection teams when they don’t pick up all the curbside waste.

Branch secretary David Houlgate said

“There is a small minority that, maybe through frustration or anxiety caused by the lockdown, think its fine to verbally abuse the staff.  Let’s be clear those staff are working at increased risk for themselves in delivering this vital service and do not deserve to be treated in such a way. This usually happens when a decision is taken not to take some items put out for waste removal.”

The teams of 120 workers who cover waste, recycling and green bin collections are having to deal with increased amounts being left for them on the side of roads. Currently all the recycling centres in North Yorkshire are closed.

The collection teams in Harrogate have also seen acts of gratitude and kindness with messages of thanks left on bins which Mr Houlgate said have been uplifting for the staff.  Staff from the districts leisure centres and parks division have been pulled into work on waste collections- unison says there are legal limits on what the trucks can carry and guidelines on what the crews can and cannot collect.

The coronavirus crisis could help “drag the council into the 21st century,” according to the leader of one of its committees. 

Coun Chris Aldred, who chairs the Overview & Scrutiny Commission at Harrogate Borough Council, said he hopes an enforced move to online meetings will lead to more modern ways of working in the long term. 

He put forward a proposal for committee meetings to be available to view online in December, but it was turned down by the General Purposes Committee in January. Now, HBC is looking into setting up online meetings in order to allow its work to continue during the coronavirus crisis. 

Coun Aldred, the Liberal Democrat representative for Fairfax ward, said: “It’s a slightly different scenario to what I was envisaging. If it does drag us into the 21st century, like a lot of things we will find when we return out of this present scenario, things will change in all sorts of ways.  

“Some kinds of meetings where the public don’t have to physically come into the same place is a good thing – giving people more access to the decision-making.” 

Rescheduling meetings

Earlier this month, the government issued new guidance to local authorities encouraging them to set up virtual meetings to enable routine council work to continue. Now, the council is working to find ways for officers and councillors to meet online. 

A spokesman for HBC said: “Following the government go-ahead, we are now looking at what software would be appropriate to allow remote meetings to take place at Harrogate Borough Council.  

“We hope to have this in place in the coming weeks and will begin with rescheduling some of the previous meetings that had to be postponed. Once we have a clear timetable it will be made available on our website and on social media.” 

Coun Chris Aldred

Rejecting the streaming proposal in January, the General Purposes Committee said the cost would be too high to justify with the expected low take-up from the public. It also argued that, with attendance usually very low, putting meetings online would only discourage people from coming to meetings in person. However, Coun Aldred – who chairs the Overview & Scrutiny Commission – rejected that argument.

“I thought it was idiotic, to be honest.The more access we can give people and they see councils in particular, but government in general, that can only be a good thing.

“We’re quite a big district, from Pateley Bridge to Boroughbridge,” he said. “These meetings are traditionally held at not the best time for people who have a job to come and see what’s going on.  

“[With online streaming] people could dip in and out and see the bits they want, such as planning – people are interested in planning decisions. They could see what’s happening and what the arguments are. 

“I really don’t think there’s anything controversial about it. Other councils are already doing it by putting their meetings on YouTube. I can only see it being a good thing.”