Harrogate chamber seeks new leader as CEO stands down

The CEO of Harrogate and District Chamber of Commerce is to stand down in spring after five years in the post.

Sandra Doherty took on the role in May 2016, but has decided to step down after selling her guest house on Ripon Road and making plans to retire to Northumberland.

The chamber is now asking anyone interested in taking on the role, which comes with a small remuneration package, to email Ms Doherty on ceo@harrogatechamber.co.uk.

The chamber says those interested need to care about the Harrogate district and the businesses within it, and be able to comment on issues facing them.

Ms Doherty spoke highly of her time in the role, thanking the people she has worked with during the five years. She said:

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time as Harrogate and District Chamber of Commerce’s CEO, and when I depart, I will miss all that this position brings.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for someone with a bit of time and an enjoyment of working with people in many walks of life. Like me, they will be supported by a superb management committee.”

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Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce president Martin Gerrard said:

“We will be very sorry to see Sandra not only depart from the chamber, but from Harrogate too.

“Being chamber CEO is by no means an easy job, and the last 11 months have proved to be incredibly challenging. It needs an understanding of Harrogate’s business scene, great organisational skills, and the ability to comment on a wide range of issues facing the town and the wider district.

“Above all, it needs someone who cares about the town and the businesses that make Harrogate such a popular place to live and work.”

Ms Doherty took on the role at the chamber after Brian Dunsby stepped down in 2016, after 14 years at the helm.

The chamber’s history in Harrogate dates back to 1896 and it was responsible for the creation of Yorkshire Business Market and Harrogate Christmas Market, now both run separately.

In normal times, Harrogate and District Chamber of Commerce offers a monthly meeting to all its members, including regular ‘speed networking’ sessions and topics to support business growth. It has been offering online meetings since mid-2020.

It is run by a management group of volunteers drawn from member businesses, led by the CEO, which meets quarterly.

‘Random road closures not solution’ to Harrogate traffic woes

Harrogate’s business groups have raised concerns over plans to close off streets in Harrogate to create a “low traffic neighbourhood”.

North Yorkshire County Council revealed that it will close Beech Grove to through traffic in less than two weeks’ time.

The experimental closure will be in place for six months from February 15 and, depending on the results of a public consultation, it could become permanent.

Residents, refuse collections and emergency services will still have access to the area. But motorists will no longer be able to get directly from Otley Road to West Park via Beech Grove.

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Now officials at the chamber of commerce and business improvement district have weighed in on the debate, arguing the struggling high street could be negatively affected by the plans.

Sandra Doherty, the chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said:

“The solution is not, and never will be, the random closing of one road or another. A fully thought out, cohesive plan, which must involve all stakeholders should be undertaken.

“We must understand that no one single group will have the perfect solution. There will have to be some give and take.”

She added:

“I am not convinced that the Government’s view of car free towns surrounded by cycle lanes and pavements is the solution to the decline of the high street.

“Now we have all got used to shopping online, towns will have to provide a more experiential offering. Banning cars or discouraging them just won’t help.”

The proposed area for the Low Traffic Neighbourhood on Beech Grove, including the planters on the junction with Lancaster Road.

The proposed area for the Low Traffic Neighbourhood on Beech Grove, including the planters on the junction with Lancaster Road.

Sara Ferguson, chair of Harrogate BID, added:

“We need to know what else North Yorkshire Council is planning for the town centre.

“In its letter to Beech Grove and Lancaster Road residents, the council says this initiative is part of an overall ‘package of improvements’ but fails to reveal any more details.

“If its wider strategy is to reduce traffic in the town centre, then we need to know.

“We would like to think any future plans would include the addition of a large number of electric charging points. It would encourage those with electric vehicles to visit the town and help to reduce CO2 emissions.”

Ms Ferguson also said, if any free parking is to be lost, the BID would like to see Harrogate Borough and North Yorkshire County councils work together to reduce the costs in multi-storey car parks, which she said were under-used.

Business owners share concerns as new lockdown begins

Business owners from the Harrogate district have given their reaction to last night’s announcement of a new national lockdown.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced at 8pm last night that a new lockdown would begin from today, with a stay at home order in place.

Other than for essential trips such as food shopping, medical needs, exercise, work where it cannot be done from home and to escape an unsafe home situation, people are instructed not to leave home.

Sandra Doherty, chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said the measures would be difficult but were necessary to reduce transmission until the vaccination took effect. She said:

“It’s going to be incredibly tough for all businesses over the coming months, and sadly not all will survive into the spring.

“Until we can resume life as we knew it in pre-Covid days, the Government is going to have to continue its support to businesses, and extend it to those self-employed people who have so far not received any financial help at all.”

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Bob Kennedy, owner of Porters menswear in Harrogate, said his business suffered a “huge loss” turnover in the four months it was closed last year. He said his premises’ rateable value was considered too high to qualify to warrant government support, adding:

“We’re all in this together but if we’re to close for another month or two, landlords will have to take some of the hit too. We can’t keep being closed for months and carry on paying the rents.
“We’re all in this together and it’s sickening to see some large national retailers completely ignoring the health of the nation by staying open and fully trading because they sell sandwiches or gardening gloves.”

Peter Banks, managing director of Rudding Park Hotel and Spa, said he hoped the government would extend support for hospitality businesses amid the new restrictions. He said:

“I sincerely hope they will be extending the VAT for another year and the rates holiday. If they could do those two things, it would be helpful and that would be a clear plan.”

Will your business be affected by the new lockdown? Send your views and experiences to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Harrogate retailer says second lockdown would be ‘devastating’

A Harrogate retailer has raised their concerns saying “there will be casualties for sure” if another national lockdown is introduced for England.

The Prime Minister is reported to be considering a month-long lockdown for England in an attempt to curb the rising number of coronavirus cases.

The lockdown is expected to keep schools, colleges and universities open but the retail industry could be hit once again.

Bob Kennedy, owner of G23 and Porters has said another national lockdown would be “devastating” for the sector. Without customers being allowed into shops he is worried about the long-term impact on his own business and others.

He said:

“We are in for a long, hard winter. It will have a devastating impact on businesses. There will be some casualties for sure.”

“But we’ve got to do whatever it takes to combat this virus. We didn’t qualify for grants due to our rateable value. My business rates are high because of my location but I am still a small independent so I think that is something that needs looking into.”

The chief executive of Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, Sandra Doherty, has also raised her concerns for the impact on local businesses.

Sandra said:

“The economic crisis which is looming, not just on the high street, but more worryingly the self-employed who have not been identified in any of the government’s grants, will be further exacerbated.

“Balancing the nation’s physical health with its economic health is a difficult choice to make with nothing to measure against. I’m sure the trial and error approach which we seem to be using at the moment will see us steering a very wobbly path forward.”

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In Knaresborough there has been a number of new shops opening in the town in recent months. Steve Teggin, president of the Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, has said the timing of this lockdown could be “disastrous”.

He said:

“Knaresborough’s businesses were down in takings but we were doing ok but this is going to be a bit of a blow for new businesses.

“Businesses will have to adapt and keep that momentum going to survive. It is important for the public to support the local businesses as much as they can to make sure they are here next year.”

The district’s seven-day case rate up to October 27 has dropped to 239 per 100,000 people. However this remains above the national average of 225.

The Prime Minister is due to make an announcement at 4pm this afternoon.

Harrogate couple open town centre jewellery shop

A couple from Harrogate with an online jewellery business are to open their first physical store in the town’s Victoria Shopping Centre this weekend.

Sam McDermid and Neil Thompson set up Infinity & Co in 2014 selling jewellery gifts.

On Sunday they will open a shop under the same name in the former vaping store Tobacco Not Included in the shopping centre.

Ms McDermid said:

“We are absolutely delighted to be opening our first store in my hometown of Harrogate.

“I started my career in retail and it has always been a dream of mine to open my own shop.”

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce has helped Victoria Shopping Centre to promote retail space for local organisations needing a boost during the pandemic.

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James White, Victoria Shopping Centre manager, said he was “thrilled” to welcome Infinity & Co, adding:

“We are very keen to play our part in the recovery of the retail and hospitality sector in Harrogate.

“We would love to hear from anyone who feels we might be able to help them, especially if they are interested in taking on a pop-up store or window display.”

Infinity & Co is giving away a pair of earrings worth £45 with every purchase during its first week.

Second lockdown would see Harrogate businesses face battle to survive, says chamber

Businesses in Harrogate would face another tough battle to survive if a second national lockdown was imposed, Harrogate chamber has said.

The government is currently considering further restrictions, which could include another lockdown, in order to halt the surge in coronavirus cases.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to give a statement to the House of Commons at 12.30pm today where new restrictions may be announced to tackle the increase in new infections.

Sandra Doherty, chief executive of the Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce, said people need to be made to feel safe but added further measures would have an impact on businesses which are only just recovering.

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She said:

“Everybody’s safety comes first. But a lot of the businesses are only just creeping out of the financial criss that the last lockdown caused, especially the hospitality industry.

“I have got friends in retail and a lot of them rely on the run-up to Christmas to keep them going.

“It’s not just in Harrogate, it’s across the whole country and everywhere that is tourism based that would be affected.”

She added that the government’s job retention bonus scheme, which offers £1,000 for every furloughed employee who is kept on until January, may not be taken up by businesses.

She said:

“It’s not really the carrot and stick that you think it’s going to be.”

Earlier today, Professor Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, and Sir Patrick Vallance, chief scientific adviser, warned that without further action cases could reach 50,000 per day by October.

So far, cases since the start of the pandemic have reached a total of 926 in the Harrogate district, with 26 new infections since Friday.

Last week, North Yorkshire declared a “major incident” amid an increase in coronavirus cases in the county.

Clock ticking to end of NHS Nightingale contract in Harrogate

With less than four weeks remaining in the contract between the NHS and Harrogate Convention Centre, both parties are remaining tight-lipped about the future of the Nightingale Hospital.

The initial agreement allowed the NHS to establish the emergency hospital across eight halls at Harrogate Convention Centre and was set to last until the end of June. No rent was payable to HCC – which, owned by Harrogate Borough Council, had to cover costs using taxpayers’ money.

Now, with the end of the contract looming, the council has refused to comment on whether any further agreement has been made.

However, with national government advisors speaking publicly about the likelihood of a second wave of Covid-19, it seems unlikely the NHS will take down the facility in the near future. England’s chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, said this week:

“It may be that there’s a seasonal element and if so, for most respiratory viruses, they are more likely to be transmitted, there is a higher likelihood of transmission, in the winter.

“The winter is always worse than summer, spring and autumn for health services, and we need to think about this in terms of how we come out for the next phase.”

While having the NHS Nightingale on stand-by has been described by many as reassuring, concerns have been raised repeatedly about the potential impact on the local economy – especially as hospitality businesses prepare to reopen in early July.

Harrogate’s businesses are heavily reliant upon tourist and conference visitors to the centre, which says that it contributes around £60m to the local economy. Hotels, restaurants and bars have already spoken out about the need to fill the gap left by the conference trade.

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Harrogate Borough Council refused to make any comment on the status of negotiations with the NHS over the future of the Nightingale hospital, saying the contract was confidential. Last month, HCC director Paula Lorimer told The Stray Ferret that the next events were scheduled for August and, in the meantime, she was doing all she could to reschedule events which could not be held.

This week, Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce’s chief executive, Sandra Doherty, told The Stray Ferret it was a “feather in Harrogate’s cap” to be chosen to host the NHS Nightingale for the region. However, she warned:

“The conference and exhibition industry is the life blood of Harrogate’s economy, and those businesses that rely on this vitally important trade need clarification as to when these venues will be handed back.

“Whilst the coronavirus lockdown has resulted in the cancellation and postponement of many events, organisers will now be looking to reschedule them for later in the year. Harrogate is blessed with a number of other superb conference facilities, and we need to do everything we can to encourage organisers to consider using them as an alternative.

“We must do everything in our power to keep new and existing business here.”