North Yorkshire Council launches investigation into rising number of empty homes

North Yorkshire Council has announced a probe into why the number of empty homes in the county continues to rise.

Cllr Simon Myers, the council’s executive member for culture, arts and housing, said it was “distressing” that 6,500 people were on waiting lists for social housing in a county where more than 3,000 properties were standing empty.

An officer’s report to a meeting of the council’s leading members highlighted how at the end of June there were nearly 900 empty homes in the Harrogate borough area and more than 700 in Scarborough borough, while there were 500-plus empty homes in the Craven and Hambleton areas.

Both Richmondshire and Ryedale had nearly 400 empty homes and there were more than 200 in the Selby area.

The investigation comes as the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, which is at the report stage in the House of Lords, moves to reduce the minimum period councils can charge a premium for empty premises from two years to one year.

It is almost a year since North Yorkshire Council adopted a policy to implement a 100 per cent council tax premium for empty premises that have been left unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for a year or more, from April next year.

The report added demand for affordable housing was set to rise as residents struggle with mortgage payments and rental costs, and fuelled by a forecast downturn in housebuilding completions, changes to planning policy, rising material costs and wider economic pressures linked to the cost of living.

The report stated: 

“Maintaining a robust affordable homes programme is essential to meet this future demand.”

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After being pressed on how the council intended to bring empty homes back into use, Cllr Myers told the meeting empty properties represented some 1.1% of housing stock in North Yorkshire, while the national average is one per cent and the average for Yorkshire and Humber is 1.6%.

He said: 

“It’s distressing when you have 6,500 people on housing waiting lists in North Yorkshire, to know that there are over 3,000 empty properties.

“In Yorkshire and Humber terms, we’re at the lower end of the scale. However, it is not something we want to read about when we know the pressures on people finding housing.”

Cllr Myers said causes behind the rise in empty properties may include the economy, leading to properties not selling quickly, and changes in legislation leading landlords to take properties out of the rental market.

He said the authority was having to develop a county-wide strategy as some boroughs and districts had tackled the issue, going as far as compulsory purchases, some did not have a strategy and only Scarborough and Harrogate had designated empty homes officers.

Pledging to “get to the bottom of it and work out a strategy about what can be done”, Cllr Myers added: 

“You can’t help but look at the waiting lists for affordable housing and consider the question of empty homes and think something has to be done here. So we’ve got our eyes on it.”

Abba and Queen tribute gig tonight begins new outdoor concerts in Knaresborough

Abba and Queen tribute bands will perform in Knaresborough tonight in the first of two outdoor concerts this weekend.

North Yorkshire Council is staging the events with partners in the grounds of Conyngham Hall.

The venue is not believed to have staged large outdoor live music events previously.

The council, which took control of the venue in April, agreed to trial live music as part of its outdoor programme of events.

Michael Leah, the council’s assistant director for environment, said:

“Friday night sees the 21st Century Abba and Queen tribute concerts come to our area for the first time produced by Chapterhouse who we have successfully worked with on previous outdoor theatre events.

“And on Sunday the space will be used to host the Paradox Orchestra performing 50 Years of Pink Floyd.

“We had hoped to host a further event on Saturday but unfortunately the organiser was unable to go ahead due to unforeseen circumstances.”

Electronic band N-Trance were due to headline Saturday’s cancelled 90s music festival.

Tickets are still available for both remaining events.

People are urged to bring their own seating on chairs or blankets and a picnic but alcohol is not allowed to be brought onsite. Food and drinks can be bought onsite.

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Theatre company Chapterhouse, which is organising tonight’s event, promised “hit after hit of arguably the greatest artists of all time” at “one of the most wonderful gardens in the UK”.

A spokesperson for Sunday’s Pink Floyd event said:

“We hope on the back of the success of our concert this Sunday that we are able to book orchestra events at Knaresborough Castle, Valley Gardens and other council-owned properties in the near future.”

Former Harrogate offices to be converted to care accommodation

North Yorkshire Council has approved plans for a former office block in Harrogate to be converted into care accommodation.

UBU Northern Life Care Limited, which is based in Harrogate, tabled the proposal for the offices on Haywra Street near to the town centre.

The plan will see the building converted into six flats for community care purposes.

A two-storey extension at the rear of the property will be converted into a facility for staff to use in order to provide 24 hour support to residents.

In documents submitted to the council, the developer said the accommodation was require because of rising demand for care.

It said:

“The current office facilities have evolved during the covid crisis with reduced requirement for fixed base offices to run the company, but with an increased demand and lack of supply of care accommodation in the area due to the general cost of properties suitable for use.”

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Council paid out £385,000 in pothole compensation claims last year

North Yorkshire Council paid out £385,000 to motorists last year in insurance claims due to cars being damaged by potholes and road defects.

However the amount has fallen sharply from the year before when £1.03 million was spent on compensation by the highways authority.

The figures were published in the council’s quarter one performance report, which was discussed at a meeting of the Conservative-run executive in Northallerton yesterday.

Motorists are able to claim compensation if they are able to prove that damage to a car was caused by a pothole on council roads.

During the last financial year, 282 new claims were received which is the second lowest amount since 2012/13.

David Staveley, the Conservative councillor for Settle and Penyghent, said it was a “myth” that councils are paying out millions a year in claims.

North Yorkshire has one of the largest road networks in the country with over 9,000 km of roads and the council’s executive member for transport and highways, the Conservative Keane Duncan, said:

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Cllr Duncan said:

“In terms of dispelling the myth of millions of pounds being made out in compensation, the annual figure is around £375,000. For a highway network the size of ours, we’re quite comfortable with that figure.”

Figures supplied to the Local Democracy Reporting Service show there were 3,714 reports of potholes across North Yorkshire in 2022/23, the highest number since 2018/19.

During last year, the council spent almost £6.5m repairing roads in the Harrogate district and £2.5m in Craven.

Rachel Daly and Erling Haaland win player of year awards

Harrogate-born Rachel Daly was named PFA women’s Players’ Player of the Year last night.

The Aston Villa and England player was chosen from a shortlist of six at a ceremony at the Lowry Theatre in Salford. Chelsea’s Lauren James was named Young Player of the Year.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland took the men’s award at the same event. Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka was named Young Player of the Year.

In a tweet last night, Daly said she was “feeling beyond grateful” to have won the award, which was voted for by her peers.

https://twitter.com/RachelDaly3/status/1696619128289644693?s=20

It is the latest success for the former Rossett School student, who in just over a year has won Euro 2022 with England, won the Golden Boot for being the Women’s Super League top scorer and played in the World Cup final.

Daly’s achievements have, however, been completely overlooked by North Yorkshire Council, which still has no plans for a civic honour.

The Stray Ferret is backing Killinghall Nomads‘ campaign for this to change. Daly started her career with the club. You can sign a petition supporting this here.

Rossett School, which has said it will rename its sports pitches in honour of its former pupil, has also joined calls for the council to recognise Daly.

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Station Gateway: Council won’t have to repay government if project is scrapped

North Yorkshire Council will not have to repay government money it spent on consultants for the Harrogate Station Gateway project if it is scrapped.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed in June that the council had paid global consultancy WSP more than £2 million to draw up its business case and undertake designs for the Harrogate active travel scheme.

All costs so far incurred on Station Gateway, including the consultants’ fees, have been paid for by the council and reimbursed by the government through its Transforming Cities Fund.

But, according to a council spokesperson, the government would not ask for the money back, which is one less headache for the under pressure authority when it comes to the troubled project.

The gateway has been in the works for years but is now in major doubt after North Yorkshire Council said earlier this month that it had “rescinded the decision to proceed” with its proposals due to a legal challenge.

In a statement, the council said it would not be proceeding at the moment to avoid “further costs and delays” after a judicial review was launched by lawyers acting on behalf of Hornbeam Park Developments over the way the council consulted residents and businesses.

A report will go before the council’s Conservative-run executive next month with recommendations for what happens next.

At a meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s Conservative-run executive last week in Harrogate, council leader Carl Les said it was a “matter of some urgency” that the gateway report is published and chief executive Richard Flinton said this would likely be ahead of an executive meeting on September 19.

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North Yorkshire Council to pick double-devolution winners in October

North Yorkshire Council will decide in October which parish councils to select for its double-devolution pilot scheme.

A central pledge in the case for local government reorganisation, which saw the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council, was that parish councils would be handed more powers if they could make a successful business case.

Twelve councils across North Yorkshire have made bids to be part of the pilot, including Ripon City Council which wants to take over the running of council-owned assets in the city, including the Town Hall and Market Square.

Knaresborough Town Council has also made a bid to run the town’s market.

Harrogate is excluded from the process because it doesn’t have a parish council.

Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he was expecting a decision on which six councils would be picked at a meeting of the Tory-run executive last week.

However, the council has said the winning parish councils will be revealed in October, with the pilots getting underway in April next year.

Cllr Williams said this left an “extremely tight window” for the council to set its precept in January, which sets out how much council tax residents have to pay in the next financial year.

Richard Flinton, chief executive of the council, said:

“Our pilot project to explore opportunities for town and parish councils to manage certain services and assets on behalf of North Yorkshire Council – known as double devolution – remains on schedule.

“Last year, town and parish councils were invited to submit expressions of interest in being involved in the project. That invitation set out a timeline that stated the intention was to take a report to North Yorkshire Council’s executive in autumn 2023.  This timescale was reiterated in an email to town and parish councils in May this year.

“While it was thought that it might be possible to accelerate this process, it was important to take the available time to thoroughly evaluate all expressions of interest. This work is now nearing completion and a report is expected to go to executive in October, as per the intended timeline.”

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Knaresborough survey calls for phased introduction of electric vehicle chargers

Knaresborough people support electric vehicle chargers but feel they should have been introduced in a more phased manner, a survey has revealed.

The survey showed concern about North Yorkshire Council‘s decision to install slow charging bays in town centre car parks that already struggled to cope with traffic on weekends and market days.

Business group Knaresborough & District Chamber conducted the survey amid particular concerns about the nine electric vehicle bays and one electric vehicle car-share space in the town centre Chapel Street Car Park.

The sight of petrol and diesel cars struggling to park there while most of the electric vehicle bays are empty has enraged some traders, who say they are losing business as customers give up and go elsewhere.

The survey, which was completed by 81 people including 30 local business owners, revealed about seven out of 10 supported the call for the council to renegotiate the contract, perhaps by phasing-in or sharing the spaces between electric vehicles and other vehicles.

It is believed the council is unwilling to enter talks with the private company that provided the charging infrastructure as it could jeopardise the contract across the county.

A chamber press release said:

“Respondents to the survey believe that Chapel Street was the wrong place to install chargers, particularly as they are of the slow charge type, and that York Place Car Park, which we believe was originally preferred by the council, should have been used.

It added “local opinion is not against the need for electric vehicle charging, in fact many recognise the need, welcome it and want Knaresborough to be seen as a leading venue for sustainable transport, including visiting by train”.

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Twice as many businesses said they had had customers complain to them about the lack of parking places when EV spaces were free compared to those who had not heard such comments.

The survey also highlighted concerns about poor engagement, lack of information and lack of adequate signposting to car parks across the town .

One survey respondent said:

“These spaces cropped up overnight and whilst used by electric cars they are not always on charge.  There is limited parking in town and this initiative has seen congestion within Chapel Street as people strive to park with electric vehicle spaces either empty or misused.”

Steve Teggin and Kelly Teggin began the petition.

A 600-signature petition, instigated by local traders Kelly Teggin and Steve Teggin, calling for some parking spaces to be reallocated is due to be discussed by the council’s area constituency committee on September 14.

Chamber executive member Peter Lacey said:

“We’re pleased to have been able to highlight broader issues that the installation of the EV charging points has raised and are keen to engage constructively with other partners in the town and with North Yorkshire Council to improve the ways in which people can access our fantastic retail and recreational offer both in the town centre and at Conyngham Hall public car park where 14 spaces continue to be blocked due to grid connection issues.

“Access to the town by car will always be critical, particularly for more vulnerable groups, and we certainly want to encourage the adoption of EVs, but this needs to be part of a strategy that improves footfall and reduces congestion, something that has currently taken a step backwards in our town.”

 

 

 

 

 

Petition submitted to push council to honour Harrogate’s Lioness

A petition to honour England footballer Rachel Daly in Harrogate has been submitted to North Yorkshire Council after attracting more than 700 signatures.

There are now hopes it will be debated by the Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee, and local councillors can push officers for action.

The petition forms part of a campaign by Killinghall Nomads, backed by the Stray Ferret, to ensure the Lioness was recognised after playing in the World Cup Final.

As well as being available online, paper copies were signed by attendees at the club’s World Cup watch party last weekend.

Her former football club has called for Harrogate’s Hydro leisure centre to be named after her.

Following a 16-month refurbishment, it is set to open next week under its new name, Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre.

North Yorkshire Council has said it is “urgently” looking at creating a policy for recognising successful local people.

Ripon’s new leisure centre has already been named after the city’s Olympic gold medal winner, diver Jack Laugher.

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Killinghall Nomads, which has honoured Daly by naming its cafe after her, said it is important that there is a public recognition.

That sentiment has been echoed by her former school.

While Rossett School will name its sports centre’s 3G pitches after her, both the headteacher, Tim Milburn, and her former coach, Mike Sweetman, said a civic honour was needed.

Mr Sweetman added:

“Killinghall Nomads have done their bit and we are doing our bit. I still feel the council needs to do something for her.”

Daly was a crucial member of the England squad, playing in all of the group stage matches, as well as the last 16, quarter final and semi-final matches.

She played the first half of the final against Spain, before being substituted at half time. The Lionesses went on to lose 1-0, finishing as runners up in the tournament.

Young Rachel Daly fans from Killinghall Nomads watch the World Cup Final

Politicians back campaign for council to honour Rachel Daly

Politicians from both sides in Harrogate and Knaresborough have backed Killinghall Nomads‘ campaign for Rachel Daly to receive a civic honour.

The club — supported by the Stray Ferret — set-up a petition for North Yorkshire Council to recognise the achievements of the Harrogate-born England footballer.

Daly won Euro 22 last year and was this year awarded the Golden Boot for being the Women’s Super League top scorer, as well as playing in last weekend’s World Cup final.

Nomads have suggested renaming the council-owned Hydro leisure centre, which is close to the pitches where Daly and thousands of young people have played, after the England Lioness. The council is keen to promote community fitness at its leisure centres.

This week Rossett School said its sports pitches in Harrogate will be named after the former pupil.

Headteacher Tim Milburn described the decision as a “no brainer” but both he and Mike Sweetman, the former Rossett coach who spotted Daly’s potential, said this didn’t absolve the council of responsibility to confer a civic honour on Daly.

Mr Milburn said:

“The town is clamouring for something to have in her honour. The Hydro probably fits that bill – a place that inspires people to get fit and active.”

Daly and mum Louise, who lives locally. Pic: Rachel Daly Instagram

The Stray Ferret sought the views of local politicians this week.

Andrew Jones, the Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said Daly was an inspiration whose CV “is much more than being part of our world cup final team”.

He said:

“We should certainly recognise her achievements here in her hometown.

“She was a pupil at Rossett School and she played for Killinghall Nomads.  The Stray Ferret have set up a petition giving the Hydro as an example of the type of place that might bear her name.

“A representative of Killinghall Nomads has asked for other suggestions on Facebook and Ms Daly will need to be consulted too.

“I think it is absolutely right that the town marks her achievements in a big way and whatever local honour is settled upon will have my wholehearted support.”

Tom Gordon, who will stand for the Liberal Democrats against Mr Jones at the next election, said he supported the petition.

“As part of the renovation currently underway the centre is due to be renamed, dropping the Hydro, becoming Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre.

“We have the opportunity to recognise Rachel’s achievements as a world cup finalist, a Euro 22 winner, and as a top flight professional footballer from this town.“

Council’s lukewarm response

Whether it happens will depend on the Conservative council’s ruling 10-person executive.

The executive, which is 80 per cent male, so far appears lukewarm on giving Daly the same recognition diver Jack Laugher received in Ripon, where the leisure centre was renamed after him.

Jack Laugher displays his Olympic gold medal at the opening of Ripon leisure centre.

Leader Carl Les acknowledged the council “need to find a fitting way” to celebrate the Lionesses achievements and pledged to come up with a  policy on recognising local people at an unspecified date.

He said:

“For clarity, our sense of urgency is linked to our commitment to consider a policy for how we recognise and celebrate the achievements of local people, not to renaming a leisure centre that will reopen in a few days’ time, as I am sure people will understand.”

The only Harrogate councillor on the executive, Michael Harrison, who represents Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate, declined to give an opinion when asked by the Stray Ferret.

He suggested we try fellow executive member Simon Myers, whose culture, arts and housing portfolio covers such matters.

Cllr Myers, who represents Mid Craven for the Tories, told the Stray Ferret he had only just learned of the situation and “will have to speak to a number of people to get their views before coming to any of my own”.

‘We should encourage girls to stay active’

Killinghall Nomads petition, backed by the Stray Ferret, has surpassed the 500-signature threshold that makes it eligible for debate by the council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee, an advisory body that can put pressure on the council leadership.

We emailed all 13 local councillors on the committee, which consists of seven Lib Dems, five Conservative and one Lib Dem, to ask if they felt the council should recognise Daly and if they supported the Hydro petition.

All five of the Lib Dems who replied backed the idea.

The Hydro is due to reopen under a new name on September 4.

Cllr Monika Slater, whose Bilton Grange and New Park division includes the Hydro, said:

“The positive influence that the Lionesses have had on women’s sport should not be underestimated.

“We should be doing much more to support and encourage girls and women to stay active and participate in sports so yes I whole heartedly support this.”

Cllr Chris Aldred, who represents High Harrogate and Kingsley, said it was a “great idea”.

Cllr Matt Walker, who represents Knaresborough West, said positive role models in sport helped to “get people active early for good health and wellbeing throughout their life”. He added:

“In principle I’m supportive and to be consistent then the new Knaresborough pool would need a suitable sports person. Perhaps Beryl Burton?”

Cllr Pet Marsh, the committee chair who represents Stray, Woodlands and Hookstone, said she supported it but would prefer to see a football ground recognise Daly.

Cllr Peter Lacey, who represents Coppice Valley and Duchy, said:

“I do believe that the renaming of the Hydro at this point would be a fitting tribute to Rachel’s contribution to sport and would therefore be in support of the proposal.”

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Two Conservatives replied.

Cllr John Mann, who represents Oatlands and Pannal, said he had signed the petition, adding:

“I think she has done a lot for women’s sport and indeed sport in general and Harrogate should, indeed is, proud of her achievements.  I would support the Hydro leisure centre being renamed after her.

Paul Haslam, the only other Conservative to reply, said it was a “peoples’ decision not a councillor one and I would not wish to influence this is anyway”.

The Bilton and Nidd Gorge councillor added:

“Rachel is no doubt an outstanding athlete. I do note that Rachel plays for Aston Villa and left Harrogate in 2012. We do have other female sporting celebrities such as Charlotte McGuinness or from the past Beryl Burton for example.”

Independent Cllr Mike Schofield, who represents Harlow and St George’s, said he supported Rossett Sports Centre celebrating Daly “as it was the school which she attended and has a rich history of producing sports people” but did not say whether he felt the council should do anything.

You can still sign the petition here.